Yours to Lose
by drecklyn
Summary: "You're everything a big bad wolf could want" - A collection of short non linear moments revolving around the relationship of Bigby Wolf and Snow White - Beautiful cover image by its-us-againsttheworld @ tumblr
1. Gale Force - Part I

**Gale Force**

* * *

The deafening thunder that shook the narrow alleyway was nothing compared to the pounding of Snow's heart. Rain fell heavily upon the pavement, partially obscuring her vision but she didn't need eyes to hear the gunshots resounding throughout the alley. She didn't need to hear Bigby's growl of pain to know he had endured the bullets that had previously been aimed for not only him but Crane and herself as well. She could barely make out his figure now through the sleet of rain, slumped and breathing heavily against the base of the alley wall- broken.

Her hand flew to her mouth, holding back the scream she wanted to let loose. Her heart was louder now, drowning out the sound of the rain, the bullets, everything but her rising panic.

"Bigby?" Her voice wavered, unable to suppress her emotion. The silence that followed lasted for centuries until finally she heard Bigby let out a muffled breath that preceded something far more sinister; a growl mingled with the sound of the rain as his eyes flashed open, red orbs glowing in the darkened night.

She knew what came next.

She watched as Bigby rose to his feet, his solid stance betraying nothing of his wounds. And then to her horror, he began to advance slowly and menacingly towards the Tweedles, stumbling slightly as the perpetrators continued to lodge bullets into his chest. She wanted to cry out to him but her throat was dry with fear and she could only continue to stare in horror at the unraveling scene.

Another bullet to the chest and Bigby faltered more so than before, this time rising with another raw growl, his figure now completely unrecognizable. Well not completely; she recalled the last time she had seen him so feral, a millennium ago when he had rescued her in the Homelands from the adversary.

The wolf he had become was large and hulking, teeth bared as he took in his quarry. Her mind couldn't even comprehend that the beast that stood before her was Bigby, Sheriff and unconventional defender of Fabletown. A friend.

She watched the Tweedles' once confident demeanor suddenly waver as Bigby lumbered over them, his jaw open and menacing as they trembled under his gaze.

_Please back off, _Snow willed herself to think, _please get back into that car and drive away._

They didn't.

A single bullet fire across the expanse between Bigby and the Tweedles but that was all it took. Snow prepared herself for the slaughter. Bigby sprang abruptly on all fours, galloping towards the brothers with a piercing snarl. Another bullet from Dee or Dum- she couldn't tell through the rain, not that she could _ever_ tell- pierced his furred skin but it might as well have been as significant as pebble. Bigby launched himself through the air, oblivious to his wounds as he landed on one of the Tweedles. His claw grasped the chest of his prey, hoisting him against a grate on the alley wall as he repeatedly slammed him into the metal. Another bullet to the back and Bigby froze, dropping one Tweedle twin and turning to the other. With a wave of his hand, the assaulter was thrown against the bricks before being hurled at Bloody Mary who welcomed the attack with an amused smirk.

The remaining brother was approaching Bigby from behind and Snow had no time to call out her warning before Bigby seized the Tweedle by the chest and pinned him to the wall.

"Fuck…you…wolf!" Bigby's victim choked through clenched teeth.

For a split second, Snow thought Bigby would succumb to the monster that was thrashing so desperately for release. But he didn't.

There was no claw to the throat, no swipe at the head.

Instead Bigby let out a roar that deafened even Snow's ears before dropping the Tweedle to the wet ground, breathing hard as he slid down the wall. Bigby still lingered over him, his chest rising and falling and Snow knew he was contemplating what he had almost become; the very thing he was trying to eradicate from Fabletown.

Snow stared on in shock, her hand still to her mouth as Bigby turned his head to look at her. For the first time since his transformation, Snow could recognize Bigby Wolf by the somber look in his eyes. Yes she was shaken, and scared, and blatantly horrified but deep down there was a feeling of pride swelling within her. He had done it; he had refrained from killing even though his instincts told him otherwise.

Before she could approach him however, before she could even breathe a word, the thundering sound of a final bullet pierced the alleyway. Bigby's entire body jolted as if frozen before stumbling in a demented ballet, cascading to the ground in a array of limbs before falling silent.

"Oh God, Bigby!" She wanted to run to him but something kept her rooted to her place. She could only stare on in horror.

"It was a good show, but you know…It just didn't know when to end." Bloody Mary. Snow had forgotten she was there.

She could vaguely comprehend that the woman was speaking, her eyes still glued to the motionless form of Bigby. When she finally tore her gaze away, she saw Bloody Mary dragging a withered axe along the base of the alleywall and a trill of panic rose in Snow's throat. She had to do something, and fast.

Another blaze of thunder shook the universe as Bloody Mary hoisted the axe over her shoulder, seconds away from decapitating a lifeless Bigby.

"Wait! Stop!" Snow's demand broke through the rain, causing Bigby's attacker to glance up in curiosity. Snow faltered under her piercing gaze. Her eyes quickly returned to Bigby, watching him writhe in pain which only proved to add fuel to her already ignited flame. "Just…take him, okay? Take Crane. Just stop. Please."

"Hmmm, yeah I don't know," Was Bloody Mary's only response and Snow felt a well of fear rising within her. She wouldn't let her hurt him anymore, of that much she was determined. She was mildly amused at her revelation but not surprised; she had been suppressing her feelings for far too long. Hell, she would throw herself under that axe if she had to.

"Snow…" Bigby's rough voice broke her reverie and relief washed over her that he had enough strength to speak. "Don't do this."

Snow had no time to reply however as she caught a flash of movement coming from the wall of cars at the end of the alley. A window began to slowly roll down before emitting a pale hand from the blackened shadowy depths. She strained to see a face but to no avail and could only watch with suspicion as the hand made a beckoning motion at Bloody Mary.

"It's your lucky day kid. The crooked man says it's okay with him."

Relief washed over Snow as Bloody Mary reluctantly lowered her axe from Bigby's gait before turning her attention to her new prey. Snow paid no mind to the exchange between Bloody Mary and Crane as she ran to Bigby's side, kneeling on the wet concrete that was drenched with a tangible mixture of water and blood.

Her bedside manner had never been good and she could only stare into Bigby's faltering gaze as he stared up at her in unmasked astonishment.

She angrily glanced up as Crane stalked past them, guiltily waddling towards the cars. She was less than pleased to see Bloody Mary lingering behind. Snow wanted the bitch out of her sight.

"Oh and just between us girls, Crane ain't no killer. I mean look at his face. He couldn't stick a pig if his life depended on it."

Her revelation didn't exactly surprise Snow. Yes, Crane was a thieving perverted bastard, but he wasn't capable of murder. The real monster was still out there, still on the loose. Or…they could be standing right in front of her. She decided not to voice her musings however. "Kind of like your boyfriend here. Too pussy to ruin the Tweedles day…"

Before Snow could react, Bloody Mary brought her booted foot down on Bigby's arm, snapping the bone with an unsatisfying crack and leaving Bigby to roar helplessly in pain. "Well this is going to be a beautiful relationship we have with you guys. Really, I mean it. I'm jazzed about it." Bloody Mary turned to retreat to the cars. "Out with the old, in with the new. Long live the Queen. I'm sure we'll be in touch. See you around."

And then she was gone, along with the caravan of perpetrators leaving Snow to stare into Bigby's fading empty eyes.

"It's okay," She found herself saying, trying to keep the desperation from her voice. "You're going to be okay."

"Snow…why?" This surprised her. It had been instinct for her to save him and yet Bigby seem utterly dumbfounded that she would sacrifice Crane for himself.

"Because…" Her throat was dry as her voice died in her throat. She suddenly knew why she had saved him, why she couldn't stand to lose him. She had always known of course, she had merely lived a long life of betrayal and lies, too proud to confess. Too scared.

His eyes were closing now as his wolfish features began to dissipate until he was human once more, his figure bare and bloody against the pavement as he shivered against the pounding rain. His wounds looked even worse with the lack of fur to obscure them and Snow reached out to lay a comforting hand on his uninjured shoulder.

He was unconscious now, and she was confident he wouldn't recall what she was about to do, what she had been yearning to do for years now. Possibly centuries.

"Because…" She repeated. With trembling lips she pressed her mouth to his.

His lips were rough and wet and perfect and she hungrily traced his mouth with her own. She was gentle and careful but she couldn't restrain the passion that was rising within her. Both of her hands were braced against his bare chest now and she was reminded of earlier that day, when her eyes had taken in the expanse of his shirtless flawlessness she had been so sure she would never touch. It felt incredible.

"You're going to be okay," She mumbled against his lips.

And if Snow's eyes had been open she might have seen the contented smile that spread across his face.

* * *

**An: So here it is! The first chapter of an ongoing series of random moments between Snow and Bigby. There will be alternating POV's and most moments will be kind of AU because in reality Snow and Bigby don't get together until the comics but I don't care! Thanks to all of your submissions regarding moments you'd like to see, they will all be utilized. Once again, if you'd like a specific moment, in universe or AU, just let me know.**

**Let me know what you think if you've got the time. Thanks for your support!**

_**Next time - Drunk Snow and a flustered Bigby**_


	2. Gale Force - Part II

**Gale Force – Part II**

* * *

Snow decided Bigby Wolf looked immensely more peaceful when he was asleep. Or unconscious, for the matter at hand. Still the sharp edges of intimidation that often lined his face softened when he wasn't lucid and his state of rest made him look years younger; decades possibly. Not that Fables ever aged but nevertheless.

Merely hours had passed since the infamous attack in the alleyway and yet Snow felt that she had spent a lifetime nursing Bigby back to health along with the aid of Doctor Swineheart. He had been shattered, so utterly broken that it had pained her to see him in such a state and it had taken a great emotional toll on herself.

But she knew that what Bigby was going through was worth ten times her agony.

Snow could only watch on in horror as Doctor Swineheart lodged bullet after bullet from Bigby's struggling body, Snow breathing words of encouragement into his ear as he groaned in anguish. At some points, the pain was so brutal that Bigby would unintentionally morph into his true form, howling and growling as Swineheart and Snow struggled to restrain him. But then his familiar amber gaze would latch onto Snow's icy blue one and he would immediately relax, his eyes never leaving hers as he shifted back into his domesticated human image.

She lost count of the times she had rasped "You're going to be okay Bigby," but her words seemed to soothe him until finally he lost all consciousness, drifting to sleep on the wings of her voice. Swineheart viewed his lack of consciousness as the perfect opportunity to snap his bone back into place and so as Snow held firmly to Bigby's shoulder, the Doctor carefully but abruptly mended the wound. Bigby merely let out a whimper of pain before once more falling silent, still lost in oblivion to the happenings of the world.

Snow had only half listened while Swineheart explained the practical uses of Barmedical Ambrosia, her eyes still glued to Bigby's now mended figure. Had he remembered? Was that why he had been staring so intently at her during his pain?

No, Snow was confident that when she had pressed her lips to his own, Bigby had been completely under. Of that much she had made certain of.

Still, his face even in slumber had shifted to a sort of contended dazed expression, one enough to evoke suspicion.

"He'll be as good as new within a day Miss White. Just keep him off his feet, we both know how he gets," Swineheart was saying as he loaded his surgical supplies back into his medical bag.

"Of course," She responded. "I'll try at least."

Swineheart smiled at that and then without another word, he was out the door leaving Snow to stand helplessly in the middle of Bigby's apartment. She suddenly realized in the three centuries she had known him, she had never once stepped inside. With that in mind she began to curiously glance around at her surroundings, thus far ignored due to her single-mindedness concerning Bigby. It was small, as was to be expected, and not exactly cozy but the atmosphere was so blatantly _him_ that she couldn't help but feel at home. Her eyes were immediately drawn to a framed picture, above the chair that Bigby's lifeless body was strewn across.

The subject of the picture was immediately distinguishable by her notorious blood red cloak…but why would Bigby have a picture of Red Riding Hood? Snow settled that there were things in his past Bigby would never talk about, not even to her. No she wasn't exactly a confidante, but they shared a mutual trust founded by a similar interest in keeping the citizens of Fabletown free from harm's way. And if he chose to keep things from her in relation to his personal life, he was at perfect liberty to do so.

Still, she couldn't help but feel a small twinge of jealously as she stared into the girl's carefully painted features. Obviously she was more to him than just a past victim.

Drawing herself away from the portrait, Snow came to rest on the arm of Bigby's chair, watching him with a half smile as he mumbled in his sleep. She wondered if he sleep-talked often and then found herself lingering on other possible habits the Sheriff possessed; obviously he smoked like a chimney, that was a no brainer. But she began thinking about whether or not he ironed his ties on a daily basis or ate the crusts on his sandwiches. There was so much to be unearthed about him and she suddenly felt bitter that it had taken her three hundred years to realize it.

Of course it would probably take another three hundred years for her to act on it as well, but that was neither here nor there.

To satisfy herself at least for the moment, she raised a gentle hand to his face and stroked her thumb along his rough jaw line. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so strongly for a person…for anything. Her hope in humanity, or rather _Fables_, had died along with her hope of living happily ever after, but every time she shared a glance with Bigby it was almost as though she could finally see her storybook ending.

Of course she could never let him know.

Snow had decided a millennium ago that love was weakening, petty, and for children. It never lasted, and even when it did it only turned the ones ensnared into paranoid bigots who argued and accused each other of everything. Beauty and Beast were prime examples of what love's infatuation could do to a couple; after a thousand years of holy matrimony, even Snow could see that the passion was dying out.

As Snow reminisced, Bigby stirred under her touch and she immediately drew her hand away for fear he would catch her in such a compromising position. He remained asleep however and Snow let out a sigh of relief, her eyes lingering on his face and for the third time that day, trying fiercely not to look at his bare chest. Deciding to do something about her temptation she reached across the back of the chair, seizing the blue tinted blanket that clung to the fabric before draping it across Bigby.

There. He almost looked peaceful.

She knew his demeanor would change as soon as he awoke however. Everything was so fucked. Fables were being murdered left and right, their prime suspect had gotten away free and she was in love with the Big Bad Wolf.

For the first time in forever, Snow White needed a drink. And not something as meager as a glass of water.

Before Snow could second guess herself, she made a beeline for Bigby's kitchen. There was bound to be something in there to tithe her over. She would be quick, fast. He wouldn't even know she was gone.

* * *

Bigby awoke with a start from a wonderful familiar dream. As he became lucid, the fleeting image of Snow's mouth on his own coursed through his mind, followed by the soothing sensation of her thumb trailing across his face but the touch suddenly dissipated as soon as his eyes opened and he was certain he had only imagined everything; it was replaced by the unmistakable feeling of pain.

His body was hell. Raw soreness raked down from his head to his toes and Bigby could only groan in aggravation. He hadn't felt this bad since the Woodsman had cut open his torso and stuffed him full of rocks. In fact that's _exactly_ what it felt like.

His murky brain tried to piece together how he had gotten in such a state.

Bloody Mary. The Tweedles. Crane was gone. Ah, he remembered now.

He had gotten past the point of anger, he had utilized that emotion during his assault the previous night via a show of pent up aggression. Now he was merely bitterly disappointed that the answer had been so close within his reach only to watch it slip fervently away.

Letting out a ragged sigh, he tested all his limbs to find them in decent, functional condition, including his arm which he could have sworn had been snapped in half only hours prior. Using both his arms for support, he hoisted himself into a sitting position on his chair, mildly annoyed at the crick in his neck that had formed due to his awkward position. They could have at least put him on his bed though of course he couldn't recall the last time he had actually used it.

Wait _they_. Who had brought him here? Swineheart? He was suddenly aware of the periwinkle blanket that had been carefully draped across his bruised torso. No, Swineheart was kind enough but not maternal.

He suddenly knew exactly who had covered him with the quilt.

"Snow?" He called into the emptiness of his apartment. When there was no response, he diligently rose to his feet. He had no clue as to Snow's condition, in fact the last thing he could recall was of her image in the rain, dark hair plastered to her face as she cooed words of assurance he could barely comprehend.

Still he knew she was here. Her scent was so deliciously pungent in the air that he could taste it. But there was something not quite right about her…

As Bigby entered the kitchen, he quite literally stumbled upon Snow and soon discovered the source of her curious aura.

She was completely drunk off her ass.

Huddled in the corner of his kitchen, head leaned up against the fridge, hair lose from its bun and pouring down her shoulders, Snow nursed his last remaining bottle of bourbon in her hands. Her eyes were squeezed shut and her breathing was steady but Bigby could tell she was still awake.

"Had ourselves a little drink did we?" He tried to keep the amusement from his voice but controlling it proved difficult. He never in his wildest dreams could have imagined waking up to this.

"Bigby!" She exclaimed childishly, blue eyes snapping open at his voice. "Oh I was so worried! But here you are safe and sound! It's magic!"

"Yeah. Magic." Fortunately Bigby had a great deal of experience when it came to dealing with intoxicated citizens but at the moment, he was at a complete lost, torn half way between pity and hysterics.

"Like…like the mirror! The Magic Mirror…how did that go. Ah yes, mirror mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all," Her slurred speech suddenly burst into a flow of vivacious giggling. Bigby wasn't sure he had ever heard her giggle in his lifetime.

"Try drunkest of them all," He said gruffly, reaching forward to seize the bottle from her hand. She had a tighter grip however than he anticipated and she jerked it away with a pout.

Seeing her there, hair flowing and lips red in a scowl caused a great stirring within him. No, now was not the time.

"I'm not drunk!" She protested. "I've only had…a little."

"Snow last I checked that entire bottle was full. Now how's about we get you home," He would have been perfectly content to let her sleep in his apartment but he doubted an extremely hungover Snow White would take well to waking up in a strange bed. Especially _his_ strange bed.

"You know what's wrong with you Bigby?" She suddenly said, trying desperately to crawl to her feet. To compromise, he kneeled down until he was eye-level with her. "You never smile!" Using her free hand, Snow lifted her fingers to his mouth in a futile attempt to plaster a fake grin upon his face.

He pushed her hand away, half annoyed, half amused and gently chided her. "Seriously Snow. You're really going to regret this in the morning and I am really damn sore so can you please just give me the bottle?"

Sudden anger flashed across her face and Bigby wondered where he had crossed the line.

"I can't believe you! You can be so insensitive! Don't put on your Sheriff act with me Bigby, I know you better than anyone else in this goddamn town," Her voice wavered slightly.

Bigby sighed. "Snow please-" His plea was suddenly cut off as a brisk warble flowed from her mouth. Was she…crying?

Dear God.

"What's wrong with me?" She sobbed, dropping the bottle and elapsing into a fit of tears. Bigby was completely at a loss, staring at the usually dignified woman with a dumbfound expression. Briefly hesitating, Bigby reached out and wrapped his arms around Snow comfortingly, pulling her to his chest. She stiffened at first as though not quite sure what to make of his show of affection before finally relaxing in his arms and burying her head in his shoulder, leaving his skin tearstained.

"You…you're just going to betray me," She hiccuped. "Like Charming, like my sister, like Crane. Like everyone."

"I would never betray you Snow."

She continued on as if she hadn't heard him. "The funny thing is? I deserved it…all of it. The betrayal, the heartbreak. There's no such thing as a happy ending. We only live so long to have our dreams snatched away. You of all people know this Bigby…I don't deserve you and you don't deserve me"

The last bit of revelation caught him off guard.

"Snow what's this all about?" He couldn't help but feel the hope in his voice…could she possibly feel the same way he had felt for the past three centuries, ever since he had gotten a whiff of her scent after raiding the Adversary camp all those years ago?

She only shook her head tiredly at him. "Ask me again sometime," And then she fell asleep.

Bigby stared into her face for several long minutes, contemplating her entire confession before deciding that deciphering it would be much easier when his head wasn't throbbing and left it at that. Placing her gently to the floor, Bigby retreated to the living area to retrieve the blanket before bringing it back to Snow and wrapping it snuggly around her. He then proceeded to hoist her into his arms, determined to tuck her safely into her own apartment.

She was thankfully light in his arms and added no strain whatsoever to his injuries as he carried her down the dimly lit halls of the Woodlands. He ashamedly knew the path to her apartment like the back of his hand despite having never entered it before. The door was unlocked and Bigby had to awkwardly lean down to seize the handle which proved to be a task that took a good five minutes. At last the door swung open and Bigby brought Snow White over the threshold letting out a snort at the irony of the situation. He had fantasized many times about carrying her bridal style across the hinge of a door, but his current uncompromising scenario had never exactly crossed his mind.

The room was dark and Bigby had absolutely no idea as to where her bedroom was, in fact he could barely see a hand in front of his face. He could however make out the silhouette of a couch in the corner and took two strides before gently placing Snow onto the sofa, taking the blanket and tucking it gingerly around her. He even brushed her hair behind her ears for good measure before quietly turning towards the door.

"Where are you going?" She was suddenly attentive, awake, as though she hadn't been sleeping at all.

"Back home," He answered.

She shook her head, her bottom lip trembling like a small child. "No Bigby don't go. Please, stay here."

He stared at her for a long time before finally nodding, seizing a pillow from the singular couch and placing it on the floor next to her place on the sofa.

"Don't go. Don't leave me," She was still murmuring, eyes closing as he lay on the ground adjacent to her.

"I won't leave you Snow. Ever." He gently raised his hand and pressed his mouth to her knuckles before lacing his fingers with hers. She returned the gesture and soon they were both fast asleep, their fingers touching in the darkness.

They both suffered from their independent injuries that night, but through time and each other, they healed.

* * *

**an: I just can't handle them guys. Seriously, I don't know what to do with myself. Just to clear things up, I have read the comic books and am trying to integrate details from them into this fic though it is primarily based around the videogame. For example, added things like the Adversary or Bigby being drawn to Snow's smell aren't explained (at least yet) in the game. Thanks for all your constant support, it is greatly appreciated!**

**Next time - Our two favorite Fables, one elevator and a power outage**


	3. Paradox - Part I

**Paradox – Part I**

**_Two times Bigby and Snow were stuck in an elevator…_**

* * *

Bigby followed the mirage of Snow as if he were in a dream, gliding through melancholy scenery under a cruel trance. He knew it was all a trick, some sort of sinister joke that someone was playing on him but still his eyes remained glued to the phantom's retreating figure as she ascended the stairs gracefully, his brain refusing to comprehend that she was standing in the flesh before him. It was all too surreal.

Merely seconds ago he had been consumed by grief, a dark feeling where no sympathy or logic could reach him. Now that he could smell her again, could _feel_ her in the atmosphere, it was almost like being drenched in icy cold water. The initial shock had worn off but his body still tremored with anticipation.

Still, he couldn't wrap his mind around all that had happened. He had _seen_ her; familiar pale features twisted into a look of unimaginable horror, one he couldn't shake from his darkest nightmares even if he tried. After the revelation of her death, he had roamed around in a daze, not truly himself anymore. The tiny scraps of his would be humanity had dissipated along with Snow, leaving him an empty husk without a trace of remorse. He reasoned with himself that that was why he had lost control during the interrogation…he was merely too distraught.

They approached the brunt of the stairs, the apparition of Snow stepping aside to let him proceed through the doorway. He caught her gaze as he passed by, but her puckered brow warned him from making any sort of comment. It was probably for the best. His frantic mind couldn't string two words together even if he wanted to.

She pushed past him then, brash disappointment etched all over her demeanor as he trailed her into the Woodland's lobby. Grimble snored loudly in his customary corner, oblivious to their arrival.

"What the hell was going on down there Bigby?" She demanded, scolding him like a mother would a child. "Abusing a prisoner like that…I thought you could control yourself."

He struggled for words, trying a few sentences out internally before settling for one. "I…thought you were dead Snow."

Alright maybe that sounded better in his head.

He cringed as her neutral expression turned to one of anger. "And that makes it okay?"

He gazed away from her ashamedly, trying but failing to ignore the guilt rising in his throat. Yes, it did make it okay, at least to him. With Snow dead, in his mind there was no point in making an effort to restrain himself; no point in concealing the beast that constantly clawed at his chest for release.

With Snow dead, he had no point. He ceased to be Sheriff Bigby and reverted back to his natural self; The Big Bad Wolf. Still he knew he couldn't tell her that. If anything it would only make the whole situation worse.

She sighed next to him, bringing a hand to her forehead in aggravation. He could only watch on timidly, restraining the rising urge to reach out and comfort her. At last she said, "I hope it was worth your time," walking past him and jolting a finger to summon the elevator. A flash of lightning illuminated the lobby as Bigby approached her, determined to clear up the haziness that plagued his thoughts.

"Okay, you're gonna have to explain this, cause I'm really not getting it yet," He tried to remain nonchalant to keep the panic from his voice.

He listened on while she explained the recovery of the Snow-looking-woman's-body, pausing her revelation ever so often courtesy of the interrupting thunder. When she was finished, Bigby decided he was more confused than he was before. Why had she taken on this task herself, why had she left him in the dark?

"I should have been there Snow," He said gruffly, crossing his arms as he followed her into the awaiting elevator.

"I tried calling the business office, but there was no answer. I couldn't find you, or anyone. So I took care of it," She said tersely.

Her explanation was followed by a stiff silence, one where Bigby nervously scratched his chin out of habit as he struggled to evoke the right phrasing to make amends for everything that had happened; something that would comfort her or at least put some ease into her mind.

"Snow…" He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, too nervous to see her straight on.

"What is it?"

"I'm glad you're not dead," It wasn't the most eloquent of assurances but it did get his point across. At least the blunt of it.

He watched the corners of her lips quirk up, the trace of a sad smile playing on her features. "Me too. I just want-" The elevator suddenly gave a tremendous jolt and Snow stumbled backwards in surprise, her remaining sentence cut off.

Bigby's hand went for the wall to steady himself, eyes rising to the ceiling as the single light bulb flickered and then died, leaving the duo in darkness.

"What's going on?" Snow's tone was free of panic however she was suddenly alert, traces of mirth completely gone from her voice.

"I think it's a…what do the Mundy's call them…a power outage," He reasoned, climbing to his feet and adjusting his tie.

Snow sighed and Bigby watched her roll her eyes in the darkness, utilizing his night vision which was one of the few perks that translated into his human form.

"I've been telling Crane for years now that we should rely on magic, not Mundy contraptions to power our buildings."

"I suppose we'll just have to wait for Flycatcher to get this thing working again," He sighed.

He watched as she raised an amused eyebrow. "You're going to leave our fate to Flycatcher?"

"Do you see any other options?"

Snow proceeded to cross her arms and lean against the elevator wall, still maintaining her icy composure even in such a compromising situation. "Fair enough."

Bigby concealed a grin as he settled to the floor. Knowing Flycatcher, this was bound to be a long and tedious wait and he had no intention spending it on his feet.

"The ground is filthy Bigby," Snow chided him. He glanced up at her with a bemused expression and he thought he must have imagined the smile that graced her face. Raising her hands in exasperation, she too joined him on the floor. "Just don't smoke in here. I plan to have my lungs for a long time."

Minutes past and he found himself more than once using the cover of darkness to catch glimpses at the face he thought he would never see again. Her lips were pursed in that slightly irritated expression she wore so well and strands of her hair were slipping from her stiff bun and onto her shoulders.

"You're staring at me," She said suddenly, and Bigby immediately jerked his gaze away guiltily.

He decided lying was futile. "How do you know?"

"I can feel it," She stated simply, playing with a lose strand of fabric on her skirt.

"I just uh…can't believe you're alive Snow," He stammered, his hand automatically going to his tie.

"You said that already," She smiled.

"Yeah, I guess I did," He cleared his throat, yearning desperately for a smoke. "I'm glad it's not you." Her expression immediately went somber and Bigby suddenly backtracked wondering where he had slipped up. "What's wrong?"

Snow uncrossed her legs anxiously, smoothing down her skirt before looking back at Bigby. "It's nothing, I just…feel so responsible. I mean she looked just like me. What if she was killed because of that?" Her tone was desperate now and this time when Bigby had the urge to comfort her, he did nothing to restrain it. With a shaky hand, he reached out and placed it reassuringly on her shoulder.

"Look at me Snow," He said gruffly, and she complied, her eyes staring up at him curiously. "It's not your fault. This has everything to do with the sick fuck who's so senselessly committing these crimes."

She nodded her head, looking away from his eyes and carefully shrugging his hand from her shoulder. He withdrew, slightly weary, and leaned against the wall opposite her, his eyes growing heavy and lidded from both emotional and physical exhaustion.

He thought he had merely made things worse but was relieved when Snow looked back towards him with a glimmer of something in her eyes.

"Thank you Bigby," She breathed. Was she closer now? Bigby could have sworn there had been a good few feet between them, but now he could practically feel her breath on his neck, could count every lash that clung to her delicate lidded gaze.

Before he could contain himself, he raised his hand once more and rested it on her arm, dragging his thumb across the soft fabric of her jacket. He glanced back at her face and was surprised to find her eyes closed, a smile of satisfaction etched upon her features. He decided to test the waters and raised his hand higher, trailing it across the skin of her neck before cupping her chin. She relaxed into his touch, kissing the palm of his hand before coming to rest between his outstretched legs.

This. He had been waiting centuries for this and now that it was happening, he could barely breathe. Her hands were placed firmly on both of his shoulders as she stared down at him with a look Bigby had never seen her wear before. It was completely exhilarating and before he could stop himself, he brought his other hand behind her head, tangling his fingers in the thick raven strands before bringing her lips to his.

She let out a tiny moan of surprise at the contact but soon settled comfortably in his lap, her own hands drifting from his shoulders to tangle in his hair. They broke the kiss for split second intervals, allowing time for brief gasps of air before delving back into oblivion, Snow making an effort to wrap her legs around Bigby's waste. His hands were gone from her hair now, instead choosing to paw at her delicate hips, kneading and stroking as she flailed above him. Her constant writhing was torture and he released his own strangled moan, immediately silenced by her swollen lips.

It was so perfect, so right, and suddenly -

"Bigby, wake up! Flycatcher's here to set us free," Snow's sharp voice suddenly punctured the fantasy. Bigby's eyes snapped open with a start.

A dream. It had all been a dream. And yet he couldn't help but wonder if the uneasiness rising in his stomach was from disappointment or relief. Through hazy eyes, Bigby could just make out Snow leaning over him with a curious expression on her face. Her hair wasn't ruffled and her jacket wasn't partially unbuttoned as it had been in his still lingering dream. Behind her, the elevator doors were slightly ajar, and the frog hat adorned Flycatcher was just visible through the crack, an amused look in his crinkled eyes.

"I fell asleep?" He asked groggily, running a hand over his face.

"You sure did. Do you know you talk in your sleep? Anyway, let's get going. We have a body to examine."

A trill of horror rose within Bigby's gut. No. That couldn't have been a throwaway comment. What had he said, what had he revealed? Snow's demeanor betrayed nothing however and Bigby sighed as he drew himself to his feet, following her out of the elevator that had been their prison for nearly an hour.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

**an: Just wanted to say thank you guys so much for your reviews! Each of your comments brings a huge smile to my face and makes my day immensely better. I'm glad to have found a group of like minded individuals to geek over the majesty that is Telltale. **

_**Next time - Part two of Paradox, taking place after Bigby and Snow get together, in which Bigby's dream becomes reality.**_


	4. Paradox - Part II

**Paradox – Part II**

**_Two times Bigby and Snow were stuck in an elevator…_**

* * *

The day had dragged on, long and harrowing, and Bigby Wolf, official Sheriff of the hidden community that was Fabletown, wanted nothing more than to recline in his predictable haunt, a lit cigarette in his grasp and Snow's hand in the other. Duty however seemed to have other intentions so thus he found himself stiff and exhausted, situated in his firm office chair rather than the familiar comfortableness of the recliner in his apartment.

The recliner itself had replaced his old tiny sofa months ago and had been a gift from Snow for his last birthday – "If you're going to live on the thing you might as well be comfortable." He could have sworn she had purposefully made use of the chair before gifting it to him because her scent still lingered on the cushions months later. It had become a sort of tradition to inhale it every night. Of course that was only when he didn't have the opportunity to whiff her in the flesh before he drifted off to sleep, which was becoming more and more frequent as of late, he noted with a grin.

"What're you smirkin' bout Bigby? This is a serious problem!"

Ah yes. Bigby had almost entirely forgotten Toad was there. Almost.

The Sheriff sighed, rolling his 'Huff n' Puff' cigarette between his fingers before blowing out a waft of smoke. Toad made a show of coughing obnoxiously despite the fact that the cloud of gray had been pointed in the entirely opposite direction.

"I don't know what to tell you Toad. T.J.'s _your_ son," He had only been half listening when Toad had explained his dilemma and so he silently hoped his answer would suffice.

"Yeah, thanks for remindin' me Sheriff. Big bloody help you are," Toad huffed, crossing his pudgy glamoured arms together. "I only need ya to maybe, I dunno, _scare _him into stayin' out of the river. It's too dangerous for the lad!"

"Listen Toad, I'm not a bouncer. As far as I can tell, T.J. isn't breaking any laws. If you're so worried, enforce a glamour on him and send him to the local pool," Another puff of smoke flooded the office, and through the murky thickness, Bigby could make out Toad's exasperated face. "I know you don't want to play the bad guy, but sometimes it's necessary."

"You'd know all 'bout that wouldn't ya Bigby?" Toad quipped angrily. Bigby raised an eyebrow at the insult, quite accustomed to regular jibes at his past after three hundred years of endurance. Toad looked up at him sheepishly. "Sorry. That was eh…uncalled for. It's jus', he's not gonna exactly be chuffed with me."

"You're his father. He'll get over it."

"Who will get over what?" A soft feminine voice broke through the monotony of the conversation and Bigby glanced eagerly to the door, immediately perking up at the familiar sound. Snow White leaned casually against the wooden frame to his office, arms folded and face beautiful in amusement as she took in the scene before her; Toad, frantic and frustrated, braced against the helm of Bigby's desk, and Bigby himself, nonchalant and exhausted as he reclined unceremoniously in his stiff office chair.

Toad's frenzied attitude was immediately stifled at the sight of Fabletown's newly appointed Deputy Mayor. "Evenin' Miss White. Bigby and I were jus' talkin' bout me boy." He made no mention of the supposed dilemma he was having with his son. Bigby figured it was probably for the best. Snow was under enough stress as it was and Bigby preferred her when she wasn't harrowed and frazzled; it was such a rare phenomenon that he relished the times when he'd catch the trace of her smile or a suspicious cough that could be mistaken for laughter.

Fortunately today, she seemed to be in a bright enough mood.

"How is T.J.?" Snow queried lightly as she stepped over the threshold.

"He's doin' right good Miss. Asks a lot 'bout you he does." Toad cleared his throat, eyes darting from Bigby and then back to Snow. "Well look at the time, I should get on home an' make the chap dinner. Lovely catchin' up with ya Bigby, you too Miss White." Toad bustled from the room before either of them could call their farewells, or remind him that it was only two in the afternoon and no one at this hour would expect any sort of supper.

"Long day?" Snow mused gently after the door had slammed in Toad's wake.

He murmured his response and she sent him a small smile, stepping behind his chair and using her soft hands to massage his tense shoulders. He relaxed into her grasp, sighing contently in response.

"Better now. Where've you been all day?"

"Deputy Mayor business. It's all very official," She answered playfully, moving her fingers lower to kneed his upper back.

"More paperwork?"

"Of course." Snow leaned down, moving her hands from his back to linger at his tie before pulling away with a smile and stepping out from behind his chair. Bigby faltered slightly at the retraction of her touch, but pretended not to notice. They had been up all night; he was supposed to be exhausted.

"What did Toad want?"

"Who knows," He answered briskly, raising his hands behind his head and resting his booted feet on his desk, faking a muffled yawn. "I wasn't much paying attention."

Snow was now perched innocently on his desk, folding her pale hands into the silk skirt of her lap. "And what has the Sheriff of Fable Town so distracted this afternoon, hmm?"

Bigby took a final inhale of his cigarette before crumbling the now rendered useless butt between his forefinger and thumb, taking his time to roam his eyes over her delicate figure, silently answering her question. Upon closer inspection he found that the two highest buttons of her blouse had been mistakenly left open, revealing enough of her skin to make him question his sanity.

_Mistaken my eye_, he scoffed to himself.

She raised both her eyebrows at his subtle free gesture before innocently stretching a hand to her hair and absently pulling at the tie that held her strands prisoner, cascading her raven locks over her shoulders. She cast him a vivacious smile before settling back on his desk as if nothing had happened, as if she hadn't done the very thing that often sent him into a frenzy; as if to say, two can play at this game.

He let out a low growl of disapproval but it was immediately stifled as her decadent scent washed over him in waves. He could taste her skin in the air and he mustered every will he possessed to keep himself from pouncing on her then and there. It was always more prominent when her hair was down, but this was a game she liked to play with him. A game he often lost, but a game nonetheless And the Big Bad Wolf was never one to turn down a challenge.

Concealing yet another charaded yawn behind his hand, Bigby's fingers innocently went to his tie, fingering at the fabric delicately. He made certain her eyes were glued to his actions before loosening it around his neck. He knew he was playing dirty; his tie was the one thing Snow went for first whenever they dispersed each other of their clothing, however she had pulled out all stops when she had seduced him with her scent. So he decided to sink even lower.

Conscious of Snow's eager gaze, Bigby rid himself of his tie altogether, implying the heat of his office was getting to him despite the fact the temperature was moderate. He proceeded to idly toy with the buttons of his shirt before unfastening each with slow and callous precision until the bulk of his chest was partially exposed as he rested casually back into his chair, igniting a new cigarette and taking a puff as if nothing had happened.

He had done it now.

"Well I can tell you're busy Sheriff, I'll just be going then," Snow cast him a small smile to conceal her clearly flustered façade, jumping from her place on the desk and turning sharply on her heal to escape the room.

Bigby leaned back in his chair and laughed clouds of smoke.

* * *

That complete bastard! She had been winning, of that much Snow was sure of. The hair, the buttons, she had planned it all with such calculation and executed it with perfect precision. How could he have possibly outplayed her, leaving her not only bitterly disappointed at her failure but temptingly enticed to boot?

For the few years they had been executing this little challenge, he had _always_ been the one to give into temptation first, Snow being able to control herself until the last possible second. Now the tables had turned and she ashamedly felt like some sort of hormonal youth as she leaned against his office door in a fit of excited panting.

What bothered her the most was that his display had merely been the simple removal of his tie and a tiny bit of exposed flesh, and yet it had sent her completely over the edge. Snow harkened back to days of yore, where she had been able to last a whole half hour in a room with a pleasingly shirtless Bigby without having to stifle the urge to pounce on him. Of course that had been before she had gotten the chance to feel that expanse of skin for herself, to know the speed of his heart when he was plagued with anticipation and the rhythmic tremors of his breathing in the satisfying aftermath.

She had to get away. She had to take her mind off Bigby Wolf or she would march straight into his office and have her way with him. Before she could stop herself, the image of his figure breathing heavily below her as she straddled him on his desk suddenly flashed through her mind.

Damn it! No, damn him, it was his fault she was in such a state after all. God forbid she came across one of the citizens in her condition, then she'd really have to test the weight of her silver tongue.

Masking her husked breath, Snow drew away from her berth on the doorframe and proceeded down the hall on shaky heels, feeling like a new born doe walking for the first time. She practically threw herself into the elevator, bracing herself against the rail as she waited impatiently for the doors to slide shut.

When she didn't immediately hear the satisfying click, Snow glanced up in horror to find a booted foot protruding between the adjacent doors, keeping the elevator from properly sealing itself.

Bigby's booted foot.

"Going up Snow?" He chided good naturedly, stepping into the elevator and bringing the curiously enticing scent of smoke along with him. She could do nothing but glare, tapping her foot impatiently as his fingers lingered on the unlit buttons, as if he had not quite decided which one to press first.

She knew he was here for her benefit; she just couldn't bare the thought of losing so much that she couldn't stand the sight of him. Well, that wasn't entirely true. Out of the corner of her eye she could see his tie had been strewn carelessly across his shoulders, the top of his chest still peaking through the tiny expanse of his open shirt.

"Have you forgotten how to work an elevator Bigby?" She snapped abruptly, distracting herself from her own wandering gaze.

"Just wanna be thorough."

"Of course you do." She tried to keep her tone stiff but the atmosphere was far from cold. As the elevator ascended, Snow could feel the tension rolling from both herself and Bigby, so thick she could cut it with a knife.

They didn't last long.

Merely seconds into the elevator's snail paced journey, Bigby's hand had brushed hers off handedly but it was all the motivation Snow needed. She had advanced on him with such an array of limbs that after a while it had been hard to distinguish who's leg and arm belonged to who.

When it was over they lay in a mass of tangled clothing, Bigby half between laying down and sitting up as he leaned against the wallpapered wall of the still elevator and Snow strewn across his chest, her hands fiddling with the tie that had somehow found its way back around his neck.

"I won," Snow proudly announced, sighing contently and resting a hand on his arm. "You caved first."

Bigby shook his head with a smile. "I distinctly remember you pouncing on me."

"Only after you brushed my hand."

"That's slander dear. What would the people of Fabletown say if they knew their leading lady was making false accusations against their Sheriff?" Bigby blew out a waft of smoke, consuming the tiny elevator in a shade of grey.

"I swear to God Bigby, if you set off the fire alarm," Snow began, but her scolding was immediately silenced as his mouth descended upon hers. She let out a low whine of complaint before relaxing into his embrace, tasting the smell of smoke and aftershave on his tongue.

They pulled away after what seemed like an eternity, collapsing back into their tangle of limbs.

"I had a dream like this once," Bigby said after a while.

"I know."

He stared down at her incredulously before comprehension dawned on his face.

She grinned up at him, leaning forward to bring her lips inches from his ear. "You talk in your sleep."

* * *

**An: Okay I kind of cheated as I didn't really ****_show_**** the scene in the elevator…would you guys even want M rated stuff? Or at least innuendo? I'm guiltily comfortable with writing both, I'd just like your opinion. If so, there may eventually be a Paradox Part 3 if I gather up the nerve.**

**Anyway, thanks so much for all of your support! Honestly didn't even know people shipped them as much as I did! As usual, if you have any requests for scenes you'd like to see, type them into that little box below. I can only pull this stuff out of my head for so long.**

**_Next time - Three monumental taxi rides shared between Bigby and Snow_**


	5. Passenger

**Passenger**

**_Three monumental taxi rides…_**

* * *

1910

The relentless rain cast glistening puddles on the pavement of New Amsterdam, cleansing the streets of their impurity. No not New Amsterdam, Snow had to remind herself. They were calling it New York now, the city of lights and dreams. The city where anything could happen. She snorted internally at the irony of the phrase. Yes indeed anything could happen in the pulsating glow of the bustling city, she should know that better than anyone else.

From the leather backseat of an off yellow taxi, Snow White nervously fiddled with her clutch as she gazed longingly out the window, eyes shifting back and forth as she followed each passing lamp post with uncanny precision. Every so often, the gleam of the white artificial light would catch on the pane and she could faintly make out her reflection; raven hair tied into an elegant updo, face bare except for a stain of red on her lips and an expression of pure terror.

Though taxis weren't exactly new to the metropolis, she still managed to remain uneasy and often fidgeted in what she liked to deem "a Mundy deathtrap". It didn't help that the driver had placed an uneasy lingering hand to her leg as he aided her clamber into the vehicle. Nevertheless, it only added fuel to her already burning fire, ignited by her blatant distrust of every male in existence, be it Fable or Mundy. Her weariness wasn't unfounded; it stemmed from a life of mistreatment at the hands of those she once trusted. And so she had distanced herself, a defense mechanism she often used in times of emotional distress; her sister Rose Red had once compared her to a turtle.

Though of course Rose was one to thrive on male attention so Snow wasn't about to let her sister's tenuous words get to her head.

"Where abouts did you say you were headed Miss?" The taxi driver had a thick accent Snow couldn't place as he caught her eye in the rear mirror.

"The Woodlands Luxury Apartments," She answered, shifting uncomfortably.

The driver mouthed the words. "Hmmm…that'd be near the Upper West Side?"

"I think so."

He paused before taking a puff of one of those revolting cigars, obscuring the mirror in a black cloud. She was immediately reminded of Fabeltown's resident Sheriff. Bigby Wolf had recently developed a taste for the foul habit and Snow found herself more than once a day finding cigarette butts in the unlikeliest of places. What irked her the most was that she had the dirty deed of disposing of them. She vowed one day she would force Bigby to hunt down every smoldering butt and scrape them off the ground with his bare hands.

Lost in thought, her gaze shifted once more to the passing scenery of the fast moving industrial buildings. Manhattan was in a state between dusk and night and the sky was a vast array of purples and grays, illuminated and clashed together by a dark black cloud that brought about the unceasing rain. The taxi turned down an uncharacteristically empty street where street lights were far and fewer in between however the occasional flash of lightning aided in preventing complete obscurity of vision.

On a particularly lingering flare, Snow could just make out the shape of a distant figure ahead of the taxi, head bent against the rain as they traveled on foot in the opposite direction. As the cab drew closer she could see the outlines of a familiar looking trench coat, soaked and blistering in the weather. Her suspicions were laid to rest as she watched a wisp of smoke rise above the figures head.

"Pull over," She demanded suddenly, leaning forward and grasping onto the back of her driver's seat.

"What in God's-"

"Pull over now!" She wasn't sure why she was so desperate for him to stop the cab in the first place but she couldn't cease the nervous anticipation rising within her throat.

On instinct, the driver's foot immediately came down upon the break, jolting to a coincidental stop directly parallel to a now jaded Bigby Wolf. The Sheriff took a curious blow of his cigarette as he watched the ceased vehicle with raised eyebrows.

Snow paused, her pale hand frozen on the door of the taxi. What exactly was she planning to do? Why was she even getting out?

"I can't wait forever Miss," The driver called back to her, his tone slightly annoyed.

"Two minutes. I will be right back." Without thinking, Snow leapt from the haven that was her taxi seat and into the cold sweltering rain. It was anything but a drizzle; the droplets pelted from the sky and stung Snow's delicate skin as she crossed the trajectory between herself and Bigby. He simply stared at her from his place on the sidewalk, a single hand tucked into the pocket of his coat.

"Snow?"

She was suddenly aware of how foolish she appeared; she hadn't exactly dressed for the weather and her tailored skirt was dragging in the gathering puddles, the brim of her satin covered hat drooping from the weight of the water and obscuring her face.

"Mr. Wolf," She clumsily returned, her tone polite as if they were simply meeting by chance on a Sunday morning stroll. She could tell from his expression that he was struggling to refrain from laughing. For once, she could hardly blame him. "Are you um…on your way somewhere?"

She cringed as she watched him crumble the cigarette between his fingers before tossing it to the ground, turning back to her with a half smile.

"The Woodlands actually."

Her delicate eyebrows rose into her hat.

"You do realize the Woodlands are several miles away? And it's raining," She pointed out.

"Really?" He sputtered sarcastically, blowing water out of his mouth for good measure.

"Yes really," Her tone took on a coldness at his insuferability but then she gently reminded herself that she was not here to scold him like a child. Clearing her throat, she lightened her voice. "If you'd like I could give you a ride Mr. Wolf."

When he turned to her then, his smile almost looked sad.

"How many times do I have to ask you to stop calling me that Snow?" His tone was gruff but mild as he stuffed both hands into his pockets, almost and quite ironically, sheepishly.

She bit her tongue, unsure of what to reply with. She had fallen into the formal habit of addressing him by his surname long ago and yet with a sting she suddenly realized how callous she had been. He had called her Snow from the start, never deferring to awkward pleasantries or uncouth formalities. To him, she was never Ms. White or even assistant to the deputy mayor.

To him she was just Snow. And to her that was beautiful.

"Alright _Bigby_, would you prefer to be miserable in the rain or miserable in the taxi?"

His lips quirked at her remark. "Your driver won't mind?"

"I don't care if he minds."

Bigby shrugged his shoulder and tilted his head in acknowledgement. She decided to take it as an affirmation.

Snow led the way through the rain and towards the taxi manned by a now very callously impatient driver.

"He better be paying," The man called as Snow and Bigby settled into the rear leather seat, brushing off water and mud from their soaked clothing.

"I am," Bigby responded curtly.

"No that's alright. I can pay for you," Snow said without thinking. Bigby caught her gaze and she suddenly realized she had demeaned him without meaning to; done the very thing most Fables had reverted to when associating with the likes of the 'reformed' Big Bad Wolf.

"I can pay for myself Snow," He stated firmly.

Snow swallowed to clear the dryness in her throat. "I know you can Bigby."

He smiled at her refrain to use his surname and then settled back into his seat, shaking the water from his hair like a dog.

"It'll cost extra if you keep mucking up my seats sir," The driver said.

"Just drive."

The taxi whirled into motion once more and the occupants resolved into a silence, interrupted only by the bleak flashing lightning and grating thunder. Snow watched as Bigby's hand went instinctively for his pocket, flourishing a cigarette in his forefinger. He caught her watching him and sent her a small smile, turning towards the window to release his smoke into the evening air.

"What were you doing out so late Bigby?" Now that she allowed herself to use his name, she couldn't stop saying it. The way it danced off her tongue and into his pleased ears exhilarated her.

"There was a fight down at the Trip Trap. I had to settle it."

She knew he wouldn't go into further detail; not with a Mundy present and a particularly nosy Mundy at that. Still now that the taxi had turned down a more enlightened street she could faintly make out the bruises and scratches that littered his exposed skin. A particularly nasty cut was oozing on the flesh of his neck and she reached out impulsively to touch it. He winced at the impact of her skin and she jerked her hand away.

"I'll be fine in the morning," He assured her. Of course he would. He could be shot in the torso and Bigby Wolf would still be 'fine in the morning.' It was one of the few blessings one possessed as a Fable. Still, for some strange reason it unnerved her to see him in pain.

"Well did you?" She asked after several seconds of delicate silence.

"Did I what?"

She cleared her throat. "Settle it."

Another wave of smoke. "Yes. I did."

The Mundy driver was practically leaning away from the steering wheel, struggling to catch snippets of their conversation.

"I'm not paying you to eavesdrop," Bigby barked. The man jumped sheepishly and settled back in his respected seat.

"Bigby," She said after another brief period of quiet.

"Yes Snow?"

She crossed her legs uncomfortably, folding her hands in her lap. "I just wanted to say I think you do an excellent job as Fabletown's Sheriff." Dammit. Why did she always sound so stuffy and formal? "And um…I hope you'll continue to do so…for a long time."

There was a momentary pause at her words before Bigby turned to her with a rare genuine smile on his face.

"Thank you Snow. That means a lot."

And so they settled once more into the silence of the cab, both drifting into their own quiet reveries about the other, never daring to voice them aloud.

* * *

1986

Bigby Wolf was at a loss. It seemed that within merely the last hour everything had completely fallen apart, the solid evidence he had once procured crumbling to ashes in his bare hands, leaving him to flail aimlessly for the pieces in the wind. Crane, the funeral, the Tweedles, the events had gone by in such a hazy blur that Bigby felt he had experienced it all in a strange lucid dream, and now he was wakening back into cruel reality.

And reality came in the form of a gaping bullet hole in his right shoulder. The wound was anything but fatal of course, but regardless it stung like hell and only proved as a sharp reminder that the picture was bigger than he had even dared to imagine.

He contemplated everything in the back of a customary off yellow taxi, a rough hand to his face as he stared out the window in silent reverie, pointedly looking at anything but the person who sat adjacent to him.

He had failed her tonight. He had failed Snow and it was eating him from the inside. From the corner of his eye he could see her bent over in remorse, her head resting in her hands as she leaned against the taxi door.

He knew what she was thinking about; what they were both thinking about. The incriminating picture was still stuffed deep within his pocket along with his pack of cigarettes and lighter. He planned to burn it the moment it was no longer useful to the case.

And yet still he knew he couldn't burn the image from her mind. He had shown her the picture upon her insistence and the moment he saw her expression he immediately regretted his relent.

He cleared his throat, reaching a hand towards her shoulder but retracting it at the last second. She was oblivious to his movement.

"Snow," It was the first word he had spoken to her since the revelation other than "We should get a cab."

She drew herself from her brooding position, carelessly brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. If Bigby felt like hell, Snow's outward appearance certainly reflected that. Her icy eyes were red and puffy though not from crying; from pure aggravation. The lower portion of her skirt was muddied and torn from tending to Holly until Doctor Swineheart's arrival and there was a careless splotch of blood on her cheek.

Without thinking Bigby reached impulsively and wiped the stain with his thumb. She stiffened at his touch but did nothing to retract it, closing her eyes and letting out a strangled sigh.

"Do you have any idea what's going on Bigby?" Her voice was tight from suppressed emotion.

Bigby closed his eyes as well, turning from Snow and leaning his head against the leather seat of the taxi. God he wanted a smoke right now but he refrained from his habit out of respect to Snow; he knew it unnerved her whenever he withdrew a cigarette.

"The only thing I do know is that we need to get to Crane. He's…" He trailed off, not knowing quite how to phrase his unfinished statement.

"You think he's the killer." Snow was perceptive enough to refrain from questions.

"I don't know what I think."

Snow nodded tersely, swallowing before turning back to the window. "I just…can't believe it. Any of it."

She sounded so completely lost and Bigby had the sudden instinct to gather her into his arms and comfort her until he washed the pain from her consciousness. Of course he didn't act on his impulse and instead refrained to watching her in silence.

"He was always an ass," She continued, "And self observed and insufferable…but he was Crane. He cared for the people of Fabletown once. A long time ago." Her voice cracked and she paused. "And I used to…admire him for that."

A sick surge rose within Bigby's gut. What revolted him the most about the entire situation was that he and Crane were surprisingly similar. Both had known Snow for centuries, both had loved her from afar. Crane however had acted on his impulse while Bigby chose to stifle his desire.

Bigby had never been particularly eloquent at comforting people so in that moment in replace of muddling everything up with careless words he placed a reassuring hand to her arm. Without hesitation Snow leaned into his touch, her breath rattling as she lay her head on his shoulder, inhaling his scent.

"Thank you Bigby."

He wasn't quite sure what exactly she was thinking him for, but in that moment with her nestled up against him he had never felt more content.

"Don't worry Snow. We'll catch Crane and then all of this will be over."

* * *

_Future_

Snow had never felt more obliviously happy in her life. A sort of blissful feeing had arisen within her, leaving her breathless and lightheaded but never before had things felt so r_ight_. This was it. This was her happily ever after, the moment her entire existence had been leading up to.

It was funny really. Ten or twenty years ago she could have never imagined herself in this scenario; seated in the back seat of a taxi, fingers clasped hand in hand with that of her _husband_. It was simply too surreal and she kept half expecting to awaken to reality and realize things were back to a mundane normality.

"Penny for your thoughts Mrs. Wolf?" A familiar voice silenced her reverie and she looked up into the clean shaven face of Bigby Wolf, smiling and looking years younger than Snow had ever seen him before. Her breath caught in her mouth at the sight of him, her brain still refusing to come to terms with their marriage that had taken place merely an hour prior.

"I just never thought I could be so happy," She breathed, brining a hand to his face and brushing her thumb across his bare skin. He looked so startlingly different with a lack of facial hair and Snow couldn't decide if she preferred it or not.

"What's wrong? Think I should grow it back?" He leaned into her hand with a playful smile.

"It doesn't look bad. It's just not you."

"Well I'm sure we can find plenty of things to distract me from shaving," He growled into her ear before pulling away with a toothy grin, leaving her flustered but exhilaratingly eager.

"You still haven't told me where we're going Mr. Wolf," She said, trying to maintain her composure as she smoothed down the skirt of her dress. It was a tight number and was especially bothersome in the infuriating summer heat. She was quite ready to be rid of it and from the passive glances Bigby was giving her she was certain her husband was too, though his motivations were vastly different than her own. Well not vastly, she thought with a grin.

When he remained silent, Snow crossed her arms a put on a fake air of coldness, a look that harkened back to her days as assistant to the deputy mayor. "So you're not going to tell me?"

"Nope."

"Not even a tiny hint?"

"Nope."

"You're impossible," Despite her frustrated demeanor she couldn't help but ease against his body and finally he relented, bringing his lips clashing down upon her own. Without a hint of hesitation, Snow uncrossed her arms and wrapped them around his shoulders, bringing her hands to grasp firmly to the hair at the base of his neck. His own hands were running across the bare skin of her back, exposed due to the low hem of her dress.

Snow suddenly pulled away, pressing her forehead to Bigby's, watching the torment pass over his face at their lack of contact.

"Snow-"

"Tell me where we're going for our honeymoon Bigby," She grinned as his eyes flashed open.

"But-"

"Bigby,"

He chuckled at her relentless probing before bringing his hand behind her neck and pulling her lips to his own.

"Paris," He breathed into her mouth. "We're going to Paris."

"See, that wasn't so hard," She smiled innocently into their kiss.

"I should have known better than to try to keep secrets from you."

She smirked at that before pulling away and settling back into her seat, pausing to dignifiedly tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

At last she spoke. "Bigby…thank you."

He seemed surprised, raising his eyebrows at her statement.

"What for?"

She shrugged her shoulders before leaning against him like they had done in the cab ride after Lily's funeral, all those years ago.

"For everything."

She watched him smile before bringing his lips to her forehead.

"Anytime."

* * *

**An: So this was written in response to obsession-is-my-life's request for a scene where Bigby comforts Snow after the revelation about Crane. It was originally going to be just that but I kind of got carried away…Hope you guys enjoyed regardless. Let me know what you thought if you have the time.**

**_Next time – After closing the case, Snow and Bigby try to get a good nights sleep._**

**ALSO HAPPY FREAKING STAR WARS DAY! May the force be with you guys, go play with lightsabers!**


	6. Nostalgia

**Nostalgia**

* * *

It was over. Bodies had been laid to rest in their graves, culprits had been rounded and sentenced to an eternal drop down the abyss that was the Witching Well and at long last Bigby Wolf could finally get a good night's sleep. He had done his job, his duty rather, and protected the citizens of Fabletown to the best of his ability. There had been losses and more than his fair share of guilty whisky filled sleepless nights, but now his burdens could only plague him in the realm of his subconscious thoughts.

So why was he feeling so unsatisfied? Why was there a tug deep within him that yearned for more, that wanted chaos? His mind drifted to that night in Crane's office, Snow's soft caress of a voice flooding his ears.

"I've heard it said that maybe in some tiny little bottled up way, deep inside…you kind of enjoy it when things go wrong."

He had answered her accusation with silence. He could neither deny nor confirm his motivations because he himself couldn't surmise the answer. He both enjoyed and despised what he was. He wasn't sure Snow could handle that particular truth. He wasn't sure _he _could handle it.

And now he trailed obediently behind her as they roamed the halls of the Woodlands, both at a loss now that they no longer had any excuses to be joined at the hip. It was late, past midnight and the heavy toll of Bigby's week long insomnia was starting to weigh on him.

"So, things are back to normal now," Snow said from ahead of him, pausing briefly to allow him to match her stride.

He lit a cigarette, the first since the release of his burdens, and blew a cloud of off white smoke into the air.

"Not exactly," He sighed heavily. "After this, I don't think anything will be like it was before."

He watched her as she studied his face.

"Maybe you're right."

Silence followed where Bigby tried desperately to avoid her eye contact though he could feel her pressing gaze still upon him. Under her scrutiny, he suppressed a yawn.

"Bigby?"

At long last he turned to look and was surprised at the intensity of her face as she stared up at him, searching for something he couldn't fathom in his expression.

"Yeah Snow?"

She shifted her weight uncomfortably. "I just wanted to say thank you. This whole mess couldn't have been solved without you…and through this I really think you've…redeemed yourself."

His face softened and she looked relieved to have avoided igniting anything within him.

"That means a lot coming from you Snow."

She grinned playfully. "Well don't get used to it. As Fabletown's newly instated Deputy Mayor we don't want anyone to think I'm playing favorites."

"Of course not. I'd have to start investigating you for fraudulence. The whole thing would be terribly awkward."

"Who would have known the Big Bad Wolf had a sense of humor."

"I'm full of surprises."

Somehow during their endless jibes, the two had drawn closer until Bigby was aware that their noses were mere centimeters apart. His throat suddenly constricted tightly and he breathed deeply to satisfy the absence of air within his lungs. Unfortunately however he also happened to inhale Snow's intoxicating scent and he went light headed at the notion.

"Bigby do you remember when we first met? Back in the Homelands?"

That had taken him by surprise.

"Of course I do." How could he forget.

* * *

_This one was different. This one amused him._

_So small, so fragile, and yet she bargained with her life as if it were petty, as if she were invincible. Surely she had seen what a treacherous predator he could be. The blood of the goblins he had slain was still fresh in his mouth; he had slaughtered each and every one of them without receiving so much as a minor flesh wound. He was a never ceasing killing machine and yet she stood before him now without a trace of fear in her scent, hoisting a great sword over her head as she looked him straight in the eye. _

_She was challenging him and he was never one to refuse a challenge._

_But she was different. This wasn't some infidel to slaughter mindlessly in the name of his mother…her scent. It exhilarated him. Never before had he inhaled something so decadent, so perfectly innocent and full of strength and courage. It would be a crime to murder something so pure. _

_Instead he taunted her, taking time in between breaths to whiff her scent. She paid no attention to his constant huffing, still clinging desperately to the sword she hoped to pierce his heart with. _

_No he couldn't kill her…he would preserve her. He had to save her_

* * *

Snow was staring intently at him now, and he knew they were both reminiscing over the same event. How vastly things had changed.

"Why didn't you?" Her voice was tiny and never before had Bigby seen her so shaken. A distant fear had lidded her eyes and her mouth was twisted into a raw frown. She looked completely vulnerable.

He would play dumb for now, careful to avoid the inevitable.

"Why didn't I what?"

She cast him a familiar glare, a fierce coldness replacing her previous susceptible expression. There, at least she looked more like herself.

"Why didn't you kill me Bigby?"

He had been expecting this question for centuries now; it was ordained from the moment he had first clamped eyes on her. And yet he still had never worked out quite what to answer her with. Silence had always been his mantra to fall back on, however not this time. This time what Snow deserved more than anything was a reason.

His eyes trailed from the tip of her widow's peak down to the delicate slant of her chin. Every inch of her was quivering in rage and anticipation and she was suddenly the spitting image of the Snow White he had been so captivated by back in the Homelands, the one whose ferocity had prevented him from devouring her. He suddenly knew what to do, how to provide her with a riposte. It made so much clarifying sense in that moment that he felt like an imbecile for taking this long to surmise it.

Without a word, Bigby answered Snow's question in silence as for the first time he consciously placed his lips to hers. Her mouth was trembling with surprise and astonishment, but soon it yielded to his questing lips and she joined him in mindless passion.

It wasn't a long kiss and the two pulled away before it could really begin, but despite this they both gasped for air as they surfaced.

"Oh." Snow's face was unreadable and a sudden wave of guilt washed over Bigby.

"Yeah. I uh…shouldn't have done that."

He was a goddamn idiot. For centuries he had been living under constant restraint of his emotions and now one small lapse in judgment had cost him the very thing he feared the most to lose. With great reluctance, Bigby hastily drew himself away from Snow, absently scratching at the shadow on his face before giving her an awkward nod of his head.

"Er, I'll just let you get to bed now. It's been a long week." He inwardly cursed his lack of eloquence, spinning on his heel and retreating from the entire disaster. He had overstepped his boundaries, shattered the foundations of everything he had hoped to gain in Snow.

Hadn't she kissed him before, merely days ago amongst puddles of blood and rain?

No that had been a dream, a distant musing of his subconscious in an attempt to probe him into yielding to his passions. And now he would regret it for an eternity.

This was his destiny; from the beginning of time he had been a lone wolf. Why should a new reality alter that?

Unknowingly several steps behind him, Snow watched his departure, icy eyes brimming with tears for the first time in three hundred years.

* * *

**An: So much angst! Sorry it's so short but allergies have officially killed me and this was all I could cough up. Pun intended.**

**Still hope it satisfies! Thanks for your support. **

**_Next time – Both Snow and Bigby come to terms with the kiss. A revelation is made. _**


	7. Collision

**Collision **

**An: Warning, F bombs and slight sexual content! Ye have been warned.**

* * *

The kiss had been blissful, ignorantly so, but blissful nonetheless. Yet he had regretted it.

Snow had seen it in his amber eyes, could hear it in the feint inflection of his gruff voice. He had viewed the lax of his restraint as a mistake but surely he could feel the eagerness in her lips; the yearning as her tongue clashed hungrily against his own. She had been wanting this as much as he did and had suppressed that want for just as long. And still he remained completely oblivious to her forwardness. It honestly astounded her how he could be so perceptive while examining for clues and yet still remain completely unaware of her intentions. For Christ sakes he could smell her from miles away, how could he neglect and miss the one thing she craved the most?

During her reverie Snow noticed, almost absently, that a singular tear clung to her pale cheek and she wiped it on her sleeve in shame. How could she let her emotions get the best of her, especially at a time such as this? Everything that had transpired over the course of the last few days, the murders, the physiological conflict of her own conscious, it was all taking a heavy toll on her mental state; it was weakening her. She couldn't remember the last time she had cried. Before Charming maybe. Before the dwarves. Before she had fled for her life into those dark and terrible woods only to be confronted by a fate worse than death.

And now here she was, sobbing over a man who clearly wanted nothing to do with her. A sad smile crossed her lips as she thought of the things Rose Red would have said to her back in the day, back when they had been civil to each other. _If you want that mutt, then win him! _She could practically hear her sister's rowdy and boisterous voice in her head. If only it were so simple.

"Snow, is something the matter?" A soft voice came from behind the now startled ex Princess and Snow jumped, turning to catch a glimpse of velvet red. Her heart leapt to her throat before she came to a realization.

"Oh Beauty, it's you," She breathed. The red; she had almost been certain it was…

The woman that was not her sister had genuine concern etched across her delicate features as she placed a comforting touch to Snow's shoulder. Snow flinched at the contact; it had been a long time since another woman had shown her sisterly kindness. Seeing her discomfort, Beauty hastily withdrew her hand, casually running it through her wavy golden hair.

"Snow you're crying," Beauty cooed maternally.

So it wasn't just a singular tear; Snow could feel them now, the heavy flow of liquid streaming down her face. Dammit she was such a mess and her situation only worsened now that someone was present to bare witness to her total breakdown.

Snow drew her hands to her eyes, trying to conceal her plethora of tears but only succeeding in magnifying the sound of a wet sob through her cuffed palms, sending her cry echoing around the empty lower hall of the Woodlands.

"There there. Do you want to tell me what's the matter?"

Snow was staggered by Beauty's sudden empathy. The two had never been exactly close, in fact Snow had frankly tried to avoid the other woman whenever the opportunity was granted. Her distance had stemmed from her blatant jealousy of the successful thousand year marriage between Beauty and Beast but of course she would never admit it aloud. Not when her own nuptials had ended so horribly.

"Why do you care?" The ice in Snow's tone had become an instinct now courtesy of centuries of overuse. Over the years, two emotions had come to take over her psyche and the citizens of the Woodlands learned to deal with her mood swings by usually taking them with a grain of salt; she was either blatantly happy or absolutely pissed off. There was no in between with Snow White.

If Beauty was taken aback by Snow's coldness she showed no outward sign of it.

"Is this about Bigby?" Beauty asked bluntly.

Through bleary eyes, Snow looked up in surprise at the woman before her, still gazing upon Snow with such understanding that it nearly gave her chills.

"H-how do you know?"

Beauty paused before sighing gently. "I've seen the way he looks at you Snow. And the way you look at him. I may be blonde but that doesn't make me blind."

Snow offered a half hearted smile through her tears before leaning against the wall behind her, sliding down the wallpaper until she was crumbled at the base and on the floor; she paid no mind to the dirt and dust that probably littered her previously spotless skirt.

"Yes," She choked out. "Yes it's about Bigby. Isn't it always about the Big Bad goddamn Wolf?"

Beauty seemed to hesitate before crossing the space between them, coming to rest at the base of the wall and settling next to Snow on the ground. There was silence for several minutes, interrupted only by the muffled sobs of Snow before Beauty finally spoke.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?"

Snow could tell Beauty was treading carefully but at that moment she didn't want someone to treat her like a delicate porcelain plate, destined to shatter to a million pieces if handled too roughly; she wanted to get to the root of the truth and expose _herself_ for once.

"He kissed me," She murmured, resting her head against the dry wallpaper as she tried to stifle her fllow of tears.

Beauty's lips quirked up in sarcastic amusement. "Was it really so bad?"

Snow shot her a glare of annoyance and Beauty immediately sobered.

"And then he pulled away and said it was all a mistake. And now he's gone back to his wolf den," Snow sighed, pulling her blazer tighter around herself. She had never noticed how cold the Woodlands could be at night. Just one of the many problems she would now have to address as Deputy Mayor.

"That's all?" Beauty's tone was incredulous and Snow raised her eyebrows in suspicion.

"What do you mean?"

"Snow that's just Bigby being Bigby. Honestly sometimes I wonder how it's possible you've known him the longest out of all of us when you're so completely oblivious to how he thinks. Of course he's going to blame himself and sulk around. That's just what he does," Beauty sounded annoyed, almost impatient. "Bigby loves you Snow. And I know you love him. You both deserve each other so much that it's hard to watch sometimes."

Snow pulled herself from the wall and rested her hands on her knees, staring in confusion at Beauty. "How do you know all this?"

Beauty sighed exasperatedly. "Because I know men like him…Bigby and Beast aren't all that different."

Another silence graced the two women and in that, Snow diligently rose to her feet, gracefully wiping the dirt from her skirt. "When did you get so philosophical Beauty?"

The blonde woman offered her a small smile before she too joined Snow in standing. "Well it's usually something I'm used to suppressing…" She trailed.

"Because you're so used to being judged," Snow finished for her.

"Precisely."

Snow could do nothing to prevent the smile that spread across her face. It had been a long while since she had found common ground with anyone, it felt good to at least have the illusion of a friend.

"Go see him Snow. I'm sure he's just as broken about it as you are."

Snow absently tugged on a loose strand of her hair. "I suppose you're right." She paused slightly before turning on her heel and following Bigby's departed trail. Before she crossed the threshold of the hallway however she turned back with a slight smile. "Thank you Beauty."

The other woman merely nodded with contempt but that was good enough for Snow.

* * *

"Well don't you look like hell."

That voice. It was the very last thing Bigby wanted to hear upon entering his apartment. A blast of heat welcomed the Sheriff as he stepped over the threshold, a stark contrast to the bitterly cold halls of the Woodlands. His apartment was always stifling for no apparent reason other than to piss him off further; and on nights like tonight, it infuriated him.

He could still feel them; the trail of Snow's lips upon his own, so cold, so perfect. He wanted to throw something.

"Colin, get the fuck out of here," He demanded upon entering his darkened home, not quite able to make out the pig intruder as his eyes adjusted to the absence of light.

"Someone have a long day?" The voice came from dead ahead of Bigby and he let out a low growl of annoyance as he realized where Colin was situated.

"I swear to god if you're in my chair-"

"Alright alright Sheriff no need to blow the whole house down."

Bigby heard an array of shuffling sounds accompanied by scattered oinks before his eyes finally adjusted to the darkness – much faster than anyone else's would courtesy of his keen feral instincts – making out the lumbering shape of Colin the pig clambering clumsily from his customary ratty couch.

Sighing heavily, Bigby retreated to his compact kitchen and went through the motions of preparing himself a glass of bourbon, cursing inwardly as he realized he had forgotten for the millionth time to refill the ice trey. But then again it hadn't been full for half a century, as long as he had owned it. Just another thing he had wasted.

"What's got you so down Bigby?" Colin's voice came abruptly from the doorway of the kitchen and Bigby swore loudly as he jumped in surprise, bumping his head against the side of the refrigerator with a loud thud. Through his cursing he could hear Colin chortling and yet Bigby was too utterly exhausted, both emotionally and physically, to fire back.

Taking a sip of his bourbon, Bigby silently moved past Colin and into the confines of his living room before collapsing unceremoniously to his chair and closing his eyes. He welcomed the darkness initially but when his mind began to play images of _her_ in his head, his lids shot open in exasperation.

"I don't understand you Bigby. You did it. You solved the case. Why the hell are you so grumpy?" Of course Colin had followed him from the kitchen and was now seated inches from Bigby's sprawled figure, staring up at him inquisitively.

"It's none of your business Colin."

That scent. He had to get it off of him; he could feel it rising around him, completely blurring his senses until he was a complete slave to her fragrance, bending to her every will and mercy. Reaching for a cigarette, Bigby ignited the blaze and inhaled the smoke. Better. The smell of the thick haze always seemed to help.

Colin however was a little too perceptive to his plight.

"Oh no. Bigby is this about Snow White?"

Bigby said nothing and continued to blow wafts of grey into the air.

"I fucking knew it. Whenever you bring out that cigarette it's always about Snow."

"Why don't you just shut up. Please. It's been a long damn day," Bigby sighed, resting his head on the back of his chair. It wasn't exactly a comfortable position but then again, when was the last time he had ever been prone to comfort?

"Bigby I'm not gonna be quiet until you tell me what the hell is going on."

Out of anger, Bigby's head shot up abruptly, eyes golden and glowing as he bared his teeth at the pig who recoiled in fear. Realizing what he had done, Bigby took a quick somber swig of his drink which immediately resorted him back to his former state.

"Jesus Christ Bigby. No need to go feral on me I'm just curious," Colin's voice held genuine panic and Bigby immediately felt guilty.

"I'm sorry Colin," Bigby sighed apologetically. For good measure he leaned forward and offered the pig the rest of his unfinished bourbon, which he slurped nosily at it without hesitation.

"Thanks Bigby."

The Sheriff sighed, running a hand over his unshaved face. "You're right. It is about Snow."

"Isn't it always?" Colin was immediately sobered by the stout glare Bigby shot at him.

"I kissed her Colin."

There was silence in the apartment as Colin looked up from his drink in shock before letting out a snort of laughter that soon dissolved into a plethora of very loud chuckles.

"You think this is funny?" Bigby asked, his voice full of exasperation.

"No I think you're pathetic."

_That_ caught him off guard. Bigby leaned forward in confusion, waiting timidly for Colin to finish his drink before continuing.

At last Colin downed the bourbon with one satisfying lick of his lips before staring up at Bigby with an annoyed expression on his features. "The problem with you Bigby is that you make your own goddamn problems and then you roll around in them."

Bigby cocked a single eyebrow. "I didn't think you'd have any objections to rolling around in things,"

Colin rolled his eyes. "I'm being serious Bigby. You ran away didn't you? And now you're telling yourself you're not good enough for her and it was all a mistake."

Bigby answered him with silence, taking another puff of his cigarette.

"I know you too well Sheriff," Colin sighed. "Just answer me one thing. After all these centuries, why now?"

Bigby ran a calloused hand through his matted hair in frustration, still not quite sure how to address the question given that he himself couldn't even begin to search for an answer.

"I know I'm going to regret this Bigby, but just hear me out. You've lived alone for a hell of a long time. Don't you think it's time to give into temptation?"

Bigby's answer was stifled by the sound of a brisk knock on his door and in the absence of his dwindling cigarette, his keen nose knew exactly who it was. _Dammit. _

"Colin make yourself scarce," He whispered huskily, leaping to his feet and clearing the empty glass from the floor.

"My specialty," Colin trudged in the direction of the kitchen without haste and Bigby let out a sigh. Not exactly his idea of scarce but it would have to do. The knocking was getting more rapid now.

Approaching the door, Bigby paused to adjust his tie before passively turning the knob, afraid of what he would find on the other side.

"Snow I-" He began, but his dire justification was immediately interrupted as a blue and black blur launched itself at his chest. Her scent engulfed him now and giving into temptation he rested his face in the crook of her shoulder, careful to breathe her in. "Snow I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," He spoke against her neck as she nodded against his chest. He could feel a dampness there and realized almost absently that she was crying.

With gentle hands, Bigby pulled away from her embrace and tenderly cradled her face in his palms, clearing the tears from her cheeks with the pads of his thumbs. She gave him a watery smile that he returned before closing her eyes against his gaze.

"I'm sorry. I'm being completely pathetic aren't I?" She whispered hoarsely.

"No more than I am."

Eyes still closed, Snow pressed her forehead softly to Bigby's, her breathing heavy as their noses brushed together. Their skin was slick and sweaty in the gathering heat of his apartment but for Bigby, it only added to the ambiance.

"Snow," He breathed against her cheek. "I have to tell you something that's been a long time coming."

Her eyes opened at his statement and their gazes joined in equal intensity. His throat was suddenly dry now and his chest felt heavy but seeing his own eyes reflected in her glassy orbs only served to calm him.

"Snow, I love you."

Her plumb lips parted slightly as she delicately searched his face. For once Bigby could not decipher her feelings, through both expression or scent, and so he waited with bated breath.

At last she spoke.

"It's about time," And with that she closed the tense space between them. This kiss held none of the timid carefulness of their previous endeavor; it was hungry and eager. Teeth clashed and tongues parried in a fierce struggle of passion as their hands roamed across each other's canvases with rash curiosity. With a low grunt Bigby hoisted Snow's legs around his waist as he stumbled them against the wall, both consensually pressing their bodies against each other until it was hard to decipher who's limb was who's.

Deep into their kiss, Snow abruptly pulled away and Bigby let out a groan of protest, persisting to trail his lips down her neck in retaliation.

She grinned into his shoulder. "I…love you too," She gasped out, baring her grip against the fabric of his shirt. Her nails were sharp and he let out a noise from the back of his throat that was a mixture of both pain and pleasure. Bringing her mouth from his shoulder Snow breathed lowly into his ear. "But as much fun as this wall is, isn't there somewhere more…practical we could go?"

Her eyes immediately darted to the darkened back room of his musky apartment, the one that held an empty bed that hadn't been used in god knows how long.

"Your wish is my command," He murmured into her ear, hoisting her from the wall and cradling her in his arms as he carried her across the floor before laying her gently against the stripped mattress of his bed. The room was hotter due to the previously closed door and Bigby panted against her skin as he leaned over her. The heat only exhilarated the act.

Somewhere along their journey he had lost his shirt and she was missing her beige jacket, exposing the delicate jut of her collar bone that basically begged to be touched and so his mouth obliged. Her hands tangled in his hair as she moaned into his ear, forcing Bigby to summon a great amount of mental will power to prevent his instincts from taking over. It would do her no good if he suddenly became feral during the process.

As his hands trailed to the buttons of her shirt he felt her stiffen under his touch and his eyes immediately searched her face, wondering if he had gone too far. What he found there was an expression torn between fear and want.

"Snow do you want me to stop?" He asked softly.

"No, don't stop. I just haven't done this in a while," She breathed, taking her hands and securing them around his wrists, bringing his touch back to the buttons of her shirt. She nodded gently for him to continue, her eyes lidded with desire and he pressed a reassuring kiss to her lips, one that she returned wholeheartedly.

"Everything's going to be fine Snow. Just hold onto me."

And she did.

* * *

**An: Just wanted to say thank you all so much for your kind words. They really provide me with so much motivation. Also guys I got the guts to make a tumblr. I know, life ruined. You can find me there under drecklyn or you can just go the my profile here and click the link. You follow me I follow you!**

**_Next time – The morning after. Bigby and Snow explore the literal and figurative scars of their pasts._**


	8. Convalescence

**Convalescence**

* * *

A stretch of light reached its grasp through the shabby half closed blinds, illuminating the two figures huddled on the bed in a span of direct sunlight. Underneath the baring of the rays a pale and bare body immersed in the light began to stir subtly, the telltale signs of awakening showcased in the movement of her closed eyes and the slight twitch of her mouth as she drifted to lucidness.

The first thing Snow became aware of was the pressing and overwhelming heat that spanned along the length of her back. At first, mind still clouded from sleep, she wasn't quite sure what to make of it, but after several seconds of pondering her eyes widened in realization.

Her initial instinct was to retract her naked body in a mixture of shame and regret but then her mind began to play back all of the events of the previous night and she involuntarily relaxed back into Bigby's arms. This had been her decision; no not decision. She had ached for this and it had finally been granted to her. There was no going back now; all she could do was move forward.

She decided internally that it would all begin with her coming to the simple terms that she was in love with him; desperately and unwaveringly. And she was certain she had professed that by giving herself to him the previous night. Snow had never exactly been vocal when explaining her feelings, preferring action much more to words, and was relieved that she and Bigby were similar in at least that respect.

She still had her doubts however all were silenced as a warm trill of fingers danced their way up the length of her side, coming to rest on her shoulder.

"You awake?" said a low voice in her ear. His voice was alert and so she figured he had probably been awake longer than she had.

Snow murmured her response, a small flush creeping its way up her neck. What was the matter with her? This was Bigby, she had no reason to feel suddenly as if she were in the arms of a stranger.

Her eyes trailed distractedly to the length of her arms, suddenly occupied by splatters of blood she had previously been oblivious to; no doubt courtesy of her and Bigby's final encounter with Bloody Mary. The fiasco had only been hours ago and she had yet to rid herself of the stains of battle.

"I'm filthy," she sighed, rolling to her back and making eye contact with Bigby for the first time that morning. He appeared immaculate, years younger than she had ever seen him before as he grinned cheekily down at her, looking especially wolfish.

She couldn't help but reflect his smile, raising her head to place a small peck on the corner of his mouth. There was a coppery taste there, one that she had been too dazed to notice the night before and she withdrew from him with hesitation, noticing for the first time the new cuts that raked his face.

"They haven't healed yet?"

He shook his head somberly before giving her a small wink. "I was too distracted."

She blushed inadvertently and watched from a distance as he lifted himself from the bed, her glassy stare lingering over the movement of his muscles as he pawed around for his pants, reaching into the pocket for a cigarette and his lighter. She could study him with rapt attention in the waning light of day now and she realized for the first time she could do so without shame. Her mind drifted back to the moment in the business office, where she had yearned to run her hands over every dip and crevasse of his body. It almost seemed like a fantasy that merely hours ago she had done just that.

Bigby settled back to the bed next to her, spreading out his limbs and twiddling the cigarette between his index and middle fingers as he returned the intensity of her gaze. They stared in silence, communicating the acceptance of their previous night through simple blinks and small smiles. At last her eyes tore away from his own and began to drift down his body unashamedly. She could feel his burning eye contact still glued to her face as she visually roamed his body, coming to rest on a vast white line that was hidden beneath the thin hair on his torso.

Without thinking she reached out maternally to trace the scar beneath her finger tips, retracting her touch when Bigby cringed at the feel of her hands.

"I'm sorry," She said quickly.

"Don't be Snow. It just still hurts sometimes," he seized her retracted fingers and brought her hand to touch the length of his wound. Her fingers relaxed within his own as she curiously examined the cut before gazing up at him wordlessly.

"The Woodsman," he answered her unvoiced question. "When he cut me open with his axe."

"Oh," she suddenly felt insensitive though her fingers still remained on the brunt of his raised skin, suddenly captivated by the source of the wound. "Will you…tell me what happened?"

He gazed down at her with a raised eyebrow, accompanied by a waft of smoke in the air. "You know the story."

"Just what I've heard from others. Never from you," her tone was curious like a child's.

"My version's not any different," his voice suddenly became gruff and full of self loathing. And yet he continued anyway, Snow listening with rapt attention. "I knew she'd come down that trail. I'd seen her pass for weeks through those woods and I could smell how innocent and pure she was. I…I wanted to devour her Snow. I wanted to take that happiness right out of her and crush it," he wavered slightly and she brought a hand to his cheek, silently reassuring him.

"It's alright, you don't have to tell me," She whispered.

"No. I want to. I've been keeping it in for too goddamn long. This scar Snow, I haven't healed it because I _deserved _it."

She opened her mouth to contradict him but he pressed a finger to her lips.

"I was a monster back then Snow. You didn't know me before the Adversary, before I ever had the slightest chance at redemption. But the first time I saw you…I wanted to be the one thing you deserved, be it man or beast. I changed for you."

A lump was rising in her throat and she curled herself against his chest, her hand still stationed firmly on his wound. They sat in silence, interrupted only by ragged breathing until Snow drifted her fingers from the scar on his torso to a red discoloration across his shoulder.

"What about this one?" she whispered. "It's not a scar is it?"

He let out a low chuckle, absently feeling the rash like wound across his shoulder. "No it's a burn. Courtesy of Colin and his brothers. After I couldn't blow down the house of bricks, I was still somewhat of a pup mind you, I tried to go down the chimney. It didn't exactly go as planned," He let out a bark-laughter at his own misfortune.

She was glad to see him in better humor than his previous morbid mood and she laughed along with him, imagining Bigby trying the scamper down a chimney only to find a boiling pot waiting for him instead.

"Must've been a surprise."

He murmured his response before suddenly seizing her by the waist and clambering atop of her, pinning her down with the weight of his limbs.

"My turn," He grinned, pressing his forehead against her own, an act that was becoming increasingly familiar.

She gazed up at him in confusion though still remaining slightly aroused at the feel of his bare body pressed against her own.

"But I don't have any scars," she began to protest but he cut her off with his lips, forcing her to gasp out the rest of her sentence into his mouth.

"Maybe not ones on the outside like mine," he whispered. Her eyes widened. She understood now.

"I don't even know where to begin," she sighed, turning her head away from him and staring at the bare plaster on the adjacent wall.

"The beginning would be nice," he grinned cheekily. She slapped him lightly on the shoulder and he cast her a fake pout, jutting out his lower lip and managing to look like an extremely overgrown hairy puppy.

"If I promise to spill my deepest darkest secrets will you promise to never use that facial expression again?" she sighed.

"Deal."

And so she told him, elevating the weight of her story onto his already heavy shoulders. She began with her life in the cottage, shared by her mother and sister Rose before elapsing into her brief time as a Princess, heir to her Aunt's kingdom and then to her dark never-ending days kept prisoner by the dwarves. From there evolved her rescue by Prince Charming and the scandal that followed involving her estranged sister.

The entire time, Bigby's gaze never once shifted from her own, listening intently to every word Snow's mouth emitted. He seemed to be drinking her in and for once, Snow was relieved to have someone who would finally listen, free of judgment and prejudice.

When she was finished he said nothing, instead choosing to roll off of her with a small grunt. She was taken aback at his lack of contact but all concern was stifled as she felt his firm arms engulf her from behind. She relaxed in his embrace, finally feeling for the first time in three hundred years truly at peace.

A loud clatter suddenly disrupted their state of content and Snow jerked her head up in surprise as it echoed around the confines of the bedroom.

"Shit," Bigby mumbled, disengaging himself from around Snow as he climbed to his feet.

"What was that?"she too mimicked his disposition, rising from the mattress and instinctively covering her modesty with an off white sheet.

He looked at her as if he were deciding whether or not to lie and after she raised an eyebrow he decided to go with the later.

"It's uh…Colin," He said off handedly, bending down to pick up his strewn pants and tugging them on hastily. "Dammit where's my shirt?"

"Colin? The pig?" Her tone was incredulous.

"Don't get mad Snow. He gets cramped up at the farm, he comes down here sometimes for a little fresh air. I forgot he was here," Bigby said, suddenly taking great interest in a thread on his pants. "Hmm, my shirt must be in the living room."

She sighed huffily, folding her arms as she watched Bigby scamper to the door.

"I'll be right back," He said quickly before disappearing into the dimly lit living room.

Snow withdrew herself from the sheets, climbing off the bed and gathering her hastily strewn clothes from the floor, tugging each item on until she was halfway presentable. Her bra was nowhere to be found but with her customary beige blazer, one wasn't exactly required.

Snow followed Bigby's trail into the compact kitchen of his apartment, crossing her arms as she caught the brunt of the conversation between him and Colin.

"What was I supposed to do Bigby? You two were going at it like animals and you know how hard it is for me to reach the doorknob myself."

Snow cleared her throat, eyebrow raised as she glanced from a suddenly flustered Bigby to a very amused Colin.

"Miss Snow. Funny seeing you here," The pig piped casually,

"I could say the same about you," she replied.

"I uh…well you see the thing is…"

"Not another word Colin," she interrupted.

"Snow," Bigby began, his voice full of warning.

"I know how hard the conditions are at the farm Colin and as the new Deputy Mayor I promise you I will make attempts to improve them. You can uh, stay here as long as you need to. Just don't let anyone see you, especially the mundys."

Bigby's eyebrows shot up at her unconventional response and Colin let out a low whistle in surprise.

"Thanks Miss Snow, I think I'll do just that."

"Just stay out of my bourbon," Bigby retorted, gently taking Snow's arm and ushering her out of the kitchen, slamming the door behind him with his foot.

"That was decent of you," he said when they were out of earshot of the home invader.

"I can be decent when I want to. If persuaded." She flashed him a grin, cocking her head to the side and gently taking his hand.

"Oh?" His face resumed to that of a boy on Christmas and Snow couldn't help but laugh at his response. "I can be quite the talker."

She closed the distance between them with a smirk.

"Don't talk. Show."

* * *

**AN: Quick urgent notice. Because of finals, summer break and all that jazz I'm going to begin updating this story once a week every Thursday night. Not only does this give me more time to write at my own (admittedly slow) pace, but it also adds spacing to give me the ability to stretch out ideas until the next episode!**

**Also in case you were unaware, I've recently posted a separate M rated Bigby/Snow fic entitled Intensify. It's an M for a reason if you get my meaning.**

**Now that that's all wrapped up, thank you for reading and sorry for rambling. Let me know what you think if you've got the time. **

**_Next time – "You almost looked peaceful."_**

**Guest – **There were like four of you this time around so just consider this as a unanimous response to all of you! Thank you for your reviews and requests for updates. Your wish is my command.

**obsession-is-my-life** – I always strive to improve and I'm pleased you think it's paying off. Thank you for your continuous reviews, they always brighten my day.

**budman** – I'm glad I got you into reading the comics! I really hope you enjoy them, tell me how it goes. Thanks for all your reviews!

**North Elffy** – Thank you for your reviews! Looking forward to your next update :)

**snufflz32** – I know I know, believe me I thought about it ;) I just don't want to bump up the rating of this fic in particular to an M. I did however post a separate smut one-shot for a request but I had you in mind so think of it as a gift :D Thanks for all your reviews!


	9. Revelations

**Revelations**

* * *

It had happened so quickly Snow could barely comprehend what was going on until it was too late. Bigby had been meandering behind her in Lawrence's apartment merely seconds prior, his perceptive gaze wandering amongst the crime scene in a captivating sort of way. It was at times like this that she often caught herself staring at him; times when he was truly in his element amongst an array of chaos that only made sense in his own little world.

His face would scrunch up and his brow would furrow and more than once Snow would have to tear her curious eyes away from his face with tongue in cheek and a rising blush.

She had distracted herself amongst the books, fumbling and shambling through the generic copies of Shakespeare and Tennyson to draw her mind from the body behind her; it had been her first and, she prayed, only cadaver. Bigby had seemed so perfectly nonchalant about the awaiting corpse that it sent shivers down her spine but then again, he was far more versed in that area of expertise than she could ever hope or want to be.

In fact, Snow thought darkly, he had once been the resounding force that caused multiple casualties, back in the day. He had seen more than his fair share of bodies she reminded herself distantly.

She had been in the middle of flipping through a book of poems by Poe when suddenly there was a loud commotion to her left as a figure lunged from their hiding place within the closet, pushing desperately past Bigby before fleeing the scene.

Snow immediately shot to her feet, eyes wide as Bigby motioned for her to remain stationary.

"Stay here!" He barked before tearing after the perpetrator at a break neck pace.

"No!" She shouted back at him though she knew her protest would fall to deaf ears. He would be meters away from her by now.

She felt sorry for whomever was Bigby's quarry; she had heard rumors about his unrelenting speed. Whoever it was would definitely regret trying to outwit and outrun him in the same day.

Nevertheless Snow fled the apartment and followed the sounds of chaos down the seemingly deserted street, her black shoes echoing loudly on the pavement as she trailed Bigby and his prey. It proved a challenge to maneuver the back roads and alleyways of the Bronx in three inch heels, but she maintained a steady pace, always keeping Bigby in her sights.

"Hey! Stop!" She heard Bigby's unmistakable shout from ahead as he disappeared around a corner. There was a muffled response from the pursued that Snow didn't catch but the tone was distinctly male. At least now she could place the perpetrator with a gender.

She followed as they circled into a narrow alley, catching a brief glance of Bigby's collared shirt before he disappeared into an adjacent building. A loud crashing noise echoed from within and Snow sighed to herself before trailing him persistently, not entirely onboard with the hectic high speed chase. She doubted her stamina would hold up much longer, though given she was a Fable her endurance was far greater than that of the average Mundy. Still, Bigby outranked her in such feats and she was bound to lose him eventually.

Snow raced, though hesitantly, across the threshold of what looked to be some sort of dingy apartment building, narrowly avoiding shards of glass as they rained from the stairwell above her.

She flew to the stairs, taking them two at a time as she followed the fading sounds of footsteps, pausing briefly at a landing to better grasp the direction of Bigby and the suspect. She cursed inwardly when she heard heavy pounding from the floor above, frustrated with her lack of perception.

When she entered the hallway in question she found it quite deserted with only an overturned couch to provide any sort of clue that Bigby and the man had passed through. She sprinted down the hall, carefully clambering over the misplaced sofa, however to her dismay the floor was completely deserted.

_Where could they have gone?_

A loud sound of clanking metal from the exterior of the building answered her unvoiced question.

Snow scampered to the window of what looked like some sort of makeshift furnace room, peering out the pane just in time to see Bigby scuffle into the window of the neighboring building. She didn't even want to know how the hell the chase had persisted to an entirely different venue. Her only concern was how she was going to get over there.

She decided to do things the hard way, backtracking through the apartment building and cutting through an array of narrow alleyways to make up for lost time. But in the shadows of the towering complexes, each brick building looked identical to the next and she found herself lost in the endless industrial labyrinth.

Her aimless wandering didn't endure for long. It was silenced by the unambiguous crash of glass that echoed from an alleyway to her right and her blue eyes flashed in the direction just in time to see a Bigby shaped figure hurling from a three story window.

_Dammit Bigby_, she thought, slightly irritated at his antics, as she smoothed her skirt with a sigh before heading in the direction of the chaos.

Her path however was obscured by a large chain length fence and Snow could only watch helplessly through the metal grates as Bigby pounced upon and then interrogated the perpetrator. She remained silent however; she was confident he could handle the situation, determined she would only get in the way if she were to reveal herself.

Her assumptions were laid to rest rather quickly. Barely a minute into the conversation, a third member emerged from the shadows and joined the alleyway party- Snow had barely a second to call a warning before he advanced, bringing about a heavy fist and planting it squarely to the back of Bigby's head, knocking the Sheriff out cold.

Snow bit her tongue to muffle her cry of protest; it would do her no good to alert the assaulters to her presence. She could only watch on desperately as the brothers – because surely that's what the identical oversized men were – rolled Bigby to his back before proceeding to kick him into oblivion. Several times she thought she saw him stirring and becoming lucid but another kick to his torso or head would render him unconscious once again. The beating seemed to go on for hours to Snow though in reality it was only a brief few minutes until finally the one with the beret looking hat gave Bigby a final walloping thud in the ribcage before they took off down the alley, leaving Bigby behind in the dust. Snow could just make out a distant vehicle from her view behind the chain fence, watching as the brothers hopped into it before driving away out of her peripheral vision.

Her gaze returned to Bigby, ignoring the rising lump in her throat as she began to scale the fence, deciding not to waste time in finding a safer and more practical way into the alley.

He would be fine, of that much she was sure; he was a Fable after all, and an extremely well known Fable amongst the Mundies at that. It would take more than a beating from two uncivilized cronies to weaken the Big Bad Wolf, he had definitely endured worse. Still, a concern she didn't quite understand was echoing within her as she quickly closed the distance between herself and Bigby's wounded body, kneeling next to him on the cold pavement.

It was funny really; his face relaxed when he wasn't brooding as he always seemed to be doing when lucid. His mouth looked more youthful as it moved under the grasp of some deluded dream and with an amused glance she noticed his leg was twitching, reminiscent to that of a sleeping hound.

He was stirring now, definitely a good sign and she couldn't help but smile as his eyes groggily blinked before opening.

"You almost looked peaceful," She quipped with a small grin.

He brought his hand to his head, covering his eyes in either embarrassment or from pain; Snow couldn't decipher which.

"Yup," He seemed slightly flustered she had caught him in such a compromising position as he should be. If he could have waited for her like she had previously insisted they might have not only caught one but both of the brothers.

"Except you're lying in a dirty alley."

"Yup."

She sighed at his nonchalant attitude.

"With an open wound on the back of your head," She callously reminded him.

"Yup," He paused, his hand still obscuring his eyes. "Where'd they go?"

Snow rose to her feet, still slightly amused if mildly annoyed. "Well, after the one guy hit you, and the other one finished kicking you-"

"That explains the ribs."

"-then they jumped into a car and drove off," Snow placed her hands on her hips, becoming more and more exasperated as her explanation dragged on. "Come on, get up."

Bigby rose to his feet as Snow pointedly looked away. "Guess we're out of options," She reminded him.

"Dee mentioned the Trip Trap," Bigby pointed out with a quick adjustment to his tie.

"Then that's where we'll go," Snow said decidedly. "I'll call a cab."

Ten short minutes later the pair was seated in the rear of an off yellow taxi, both seemingly finding great interest in the view from their windows. It sometimes astounded and unnerved Snow how they could go from ransacking a man's apartment together one moment to being complete strangers the next.

"How's your…um… head?" She asked after several minutes of uncomfortable silence. The journey to the Trip Trap was long but it didn't have to be uncomfortable as well.

Bigby brought a hand absently to the back of his skull, running it along the cusps of his hairline.

"Already healed," He said with a small reassuring smile. She mirrored it before returning back to the window. Something about his smile forced her to avoid his gaze.

Instead her thoughts returned to the case at hand, as she found recently they so often did. Multiple things rushed in the chaos that was her mind at once; Faith, Prince Lawrence, the two brothers' involvement. It was all so…overwhelming, yet somehow she knew she should be connecting dots, drawing conclusions, something. Instead she just remained sordidly lost.

The taxi stalled momentarily at a bustling intersection before jerking forward once more into traffic.

Snow decided to voice her thoughts. "Every time I think I'm getting a handle on what's going on…things just get more complicated," At last she met Bigby's intense gaze. "It feels like we're always a step behind."

"The Woodsman is the only lead we've got and he was one of the last people to see Faith alive. Getting some answers out of him will start to clear things up."

"I hope you're right."

For some reason Bigby's tone somehow lightened the burden she had been carrying and she felt more at ease than she had in a long time. He was right. This was their one and only lead; they had no choice but to act on it if they wanted to get anywhere with the case. Yet she still maintained the feeling that the sheriff wasn't telling her everything he knew, or at least wasn't expressing so verbally.

"Bigby…be honest with me. Who do you think…did this?" It was abrupt, she knew that, but she needed to get the burning question off of her chest. "I know it's still early but…I just feel a step behind."

She watched as he rested his elbow against the window, brow furrowed in concentration as he considered her question.

"Faith was in trouble. Afraid of someone," he said at last. "I need to find out who. Might be whoever she was working for."

Snow nodded her head in concurrence. Faith was a prostitute and thus her pimp was the most likely suspect…still it didn't do much to ease the doubt within her. Something strange was going on and she couldn't help but feel it had nothing to do with merely a late paid loan.

Bigby seemed to read the uneasiness on her face.

"There's still a lot of questions," He assured her. "We find the Woodsman, figure out what he knows. Then go from there."

"Makes sense," She said lightly. "That's probably the best approach."

Once more Snow found her gaze focused out the window though not truly taking in the scenery, her mind too awake and alert to do anything but wonder. Talking to Bigby truly helped ease some of the trouble that had been building within her head over the course of the last twenty-four hours and she wanted to keep him engaged in conversation, wanted to be lulled by the swift murmur of his voice.

"I wish there was-"

"Thanks for your-"

Dammit. She never did have decent timing.

Her eyes quickly drew from his own, instead finding a spot on the ground to his avoid his gaze, a low blush rising upon her neck. "Sorry," She murmured.

Another silence as her eyes drifted once more to the fluid window.

"Go ahead," Bigby said hurriedly. "I didn't mean to cut you off."

Snow bit back the urge to grin at his suddenly flustered demeanor. "No it's-" Another pause. "It's nothing, I just…"

And so while watching the shifting lights of the city, shadows illuminating her face at each passing street lamp, Snow bore her soul to Bigby. She released all her troubles, concerns and tribulations with the management of Fabletown and how she desperately hoped one day to morph things into a better and more stable society. And all the while Bigby listened intently, never once tearing his gaze from her face as she droned on about her problems, only interrupting to reassure her with small gentle comments.

"You should stick it out. There are Fables that would give up a lot to be in the position you're in and I think it's easier to change something from the inside," He concluded when she had finished and she couldn't help but smile at his determination, at his clear unyielding faith in her.

"You're telling me change comes from within?" She asked with a furrowed brow.

"Sure," He said with a slight tilt of his head.

"Not the advice I imagined hearing from you," She grinned.

"I'm full of surprises."

Another silence settled upon them though Snow surmised it to be more reassuring and content rather than uncomfortable. They had reached an understanding; a feat of which she had not accomplished in a good while. People always seemed to be so contrary, but Bigby…she felt he truly comprehended her. Maybe even appreciated her, if she dared to hope.

She hesitantly chanced a glance at him. He looked exhausted in the fading light of the city, dark circles under his eyes and his hair disheveled, though that wasn't exactly out of the norm for him.

"Bigby when was the last time you slept?" She asked maternally. She watched his lips quirk up at her concern.

He merely shrugged, gaze still fixed out the window.

"Well when we've done whatever we need to do here…go home and get some rest, alright?"

At last he turned to her. "Not sure it works like that."

"What do you mean?"

He shifted his weight in the seat, seeming to contemplate her question. "I can't just go home and act like nothing's happened Snow. There's still a murderer out there right now, wandering the streets."

"Well it'll do you no good to collapse on the job," She shot back stiffly. "So get just a few hours shut eye, okay?"

She caught the feint trace of a grin on his face."Whatever you say Snow."

That was a quirk she was beginning to notice about him; he used her name at every granted opportunity, as though savoring the taste of it on his mouth.

Snow had no time to dwell on the matter however as the taxi pulled to the curb of the seedy area surrounding the Trip Trap bar, jolting to a stop as Snow stared timidly out Bigby's window. It definitely wasn't exactly what one would call her scene. A group of sordid looking men lingered and solicited on the outskirts of the bar and Snow suddenly felt very exposed in her pale skirt and high heels.

"Maybe you should handle this one."

Bigby seemed to follow her gaze. "Yeah, maybe I should."

She watched as Bigby drew himself purposefully from the cab, casting a look at the group of men before striding in the direction of the bar. There was no telling what was behind that door and though he didn't need a protector such as she did, she couldn't help but feel nervous for him. If he were to get helplessly injured, she wouldn't be there to brush him off and send him on his way as she had done before and, despite everything, it would trouble her deeply to see him hurt. Without thinking Snow leaned across the seat until she was eyelevel with the opposite window.

"Bigby," She called. He paused before revolving around, returning to the taxi without a second thought and resting his hand casually on the hood.

"I…um…" Now that she could see his face she found it harder to summon the words she wanted to say. "Just be careful…please."

"The same goes for you," He stated reassuringly.

"I will." She wasn't quite sure what provoked her to do so but with shaky arms, Snow lifted herself slightly out the window and brought her lips to his cheek for half a second before withdrawing once more into the car. He stiffened in surprise but quickly resumed an expressionless demeanor, pulling away from the taxi as if nothing had happened.

She cast him one final genuine and lingering smile before shifting back into her seat. There was something different within her; something that stirred whenever Bigby caught her eye. She couldn't afford to dwell on it now.

"Where to lady?" The driver asked impatiently.

"The Woodlands Luxury Apartments," She said absently, returning her gaze to Bigby's retreating figure one last time before being carried into the night.

* * *

Bigby moved as if he were in a dream; the low murmur of the police officers, the echoing shriek and flare of the billowing sirens, all of it was deaf to his ears as he floated through the ever shifting crowd. However to him nothing simply existed, in fact he himself felt detached from his own consciousness. His feet were light as if he were made of air as his heavy boots met the even heavier concrete, the only thing keeping him rooted to the ground.

No eyes met his own as he approached the inevitable; he was nothing but a phantom to them, as he always should be.

At last he froze, situated at the base of the steps, completely reminiscent of merely twenty-four hours prior however this time he sensed something was different. This time he wouldn't walk away so unscathed.

At last the meaningless bodies shifted and then moved completely, no longer obscuring the very thing he so desperately feared yet yearned to see.

There she was.

Her eyes were icy and alive even though her final breath had been completely extinguished. Her blood colored lips were parted as though forming the final words of an eloquent speech, met only for his ears as they had been merely an hour ago; lips puckered and ripe as they had been when she had pressed them to his own cheek.

She looked as if she were simply waiting for someone to bend their ear and listen.

He felt his knees go weak and the hair on his arms and neck rise with despair.

And then his world ended.

* * *

**AN: I lied. Here's chapter nine a day early. Just think of Thursdays as a goal that's inevitable to change with either anticipation or procrastination. I'd love to hear your thoughts if you've got the time! As always if you have any requests for a scene, feel free to let me know.**

**Special thanks to my beta elpresidente450**

**_Next time – Snow is handicapped by something unexpected. Bigby lends a hand. _**


	10. Fever

**Fever**

**An: Warning, strong language.**

_Special thanks to my beta elpresidente450_

* * *

Bigby's hands and feet tremble senselessly in the frigidness of the Witching Well Chamber and he mindlessly paws at a cigarette to produce just an ounce of warmth. He's always hated this room, contrary to popular belief. It's barren, moist, and downright eerie, not to mention the temperature is constantly so low that it causes anyone to shiver after merely seconds of exposure.

He's never liked the cold.

And yet he now stands next to Snow in the dim light of the cavernous room, trying with all his might to conceal the shivers that tremor his body. God, he wishes he had brought his coat.

To his displeasure however, his attempts do not go unnoticed.

"Cold?" Snow asks from next to him with a raised eyebrow.

"Maybe," He speaks through his waft of smoke. "Never did get used to the elements without my fur."

"Ah yes," She says with a small chuckle. "I forgot you're used to _always_ wearing a coat. You poor thing."

He grins at her cheekily. "Well we all had to make sacrifices after the Exodus."

Snow clears her throat, a signal to him that their brief bout of playfulness is over. Now it's time to get to work.

"So, Holly," She states, bringing a porcelain hand up to brush a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"We need to inform her about her sister's death," Bigby says, extinguishing his cigarette via thumb and forefinger. His eyes linger to the table behind them where Lily's corpse lay post-mortem. Despite the countless bodies he has seen and examined he never has gotten used to the look of terror on each of the cadavers' faces. All of them are glued to his memories and come out to play amongst the shadows of his dreams. Perhaps that was why he so seldom slept.

Snow watches him, looking thoughtful. "Well yes, but I think we should wait until tomorrow. It's late Bigby, and not all of us can function on zero hours of sleep like you can."

"Alright then, we can wait until tomorrow morning if you want," He knows she can barely make him out through the darkness but due to his keen senses he can see her as plain as day; though of course she doesn't look plain. She looks as stunning as the crystal moonlight. And he can tell she is shivering. "Snow, you uh, okay?"

She jerks up, suddenly alert and tremor free. "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

Bigby isn't convinced. Her voice sounds strange, groggy and stuffy and he can smell an air of unwell about her. "Snow if you think-"

"Just drop it Bigby," She snaps, crossing her arms as she gives him a familiar glassy eye. "I don't need you always babying me."

He recoils, like he did when she had denounced his ownership of her earlier that day but like before, Snow seems to regret her abrupt iciness. "Sorry Bigby. I'm just exhausted. Let's deal with this in the morning."

Bigby nods. "You don't have to explain yourself to me Snow. It's been a long day, for everyone."

She smiles softly. "Thanks. I'll um, see you tomorrow then."

She gives him one last passing glance before departing from the room, Bigby's eyes lingering on her retreating figure until she disappears into the shadows and out his view. There is definitely something wrong, and Bigby has the compulsive need to decipher what it is. He doesn't have time to linger on it however as purposeful footsteps from behind alert him to Crane's presence.

"What are you doing standing around here Sheriff?" He snarls, coming to rest in front of Bigby at eyelevel. What the man lacks for in density he certainly makes up for in height, Bigby would give him that. "Don't you have a murder to solve?"

Bigby turns to the man, crossing his arms. There is no Snow to restrain him now but he is far too tired to put up with any of Crane's shit or to do anything to further provoke him. "I'll get it done."

They stand like that for several seconds, both mirroring similar looks of intimidation until Crane finally relents, pulling away with a sneer before following in Snow's footsteps. "Well see that you do Wolf, because you'll very much regret it if you don't."

Bigby ignores the threat, sighing heavily as he turns one last time towards Lily's body. He would solve this but not for Crane, not even Snow for that matter. He would solve this because it is his one last shot at redemption in the eyes of the Fable community, hell even in the eyes of himself.

He mulls this over as he departs from the Witching Well Chamber, forgoing the elevator at risk of running into Crane again and instead descends to his apartment from the stairs. He pauses briefly on the sixth floor landing, eyes drifting down the hall towards the large studio suite that belonged to Snow.

She's fine, he convinces himself. Just tired, that was all.

He exhales deeply before running a hand over the shadow on his chin. Couldn't he go just a few hours without worrying about her?

No probably not, he decides with a grimace, before once more proceeding down the stairs to the confines of his apartment where at last he can finally get a decent night's rest.

* * *

The first thought that floods Bigby's mind when he comes to the next morning is that he has overslept, and tremendously for that matter.

His limbs are stiff and achy as he tests each of them in turn, a crick ringing his neck from his awkward position on his chair. He had returned to the apartment the night before, thankful to find it Colin free, and hadn't bothered to change, eat, or do anything of the sort, before collapsing onto his uncomfortable but familiar armchair. It had been only seconds before sleep had claimed him.

Now however he regrets his brief moment of relaxation; the light drifting through his half open blinds tells him it's far into the afternoon. Snow would be furious and that was certainly the last thing he wanted.

Without a second thought Bigby leaps from his chair and sprints to the door, half expecting to see Snow's angry face on the other side. She is absent from the hallway however, much to his relief, and he turns the corner, approaching the business office at a break neck pace.

"Sorry I'm late," He gasps before looking up, swinging the office door closed behind him. "I… er… overslept."

A voice that was far from Snow's answers him. "Well I hope you had pleasant fucking dreams Sheriff."

Bigby glances up in shock to find Grendel leaning casually against Crane's desk, absently shaking a tarot card between his forefinger and thumb as he glares daggers across the cavernous room.

"What are you doing in here? Where's Snow?" Bigby barks as he closes the space between himself and the intruder. He has absolutely no time to put up with anymore of Grendel's charades of provoking violence.

"Funny. I was about to ask you the same question," Gren replies dully.

"You mean she's not here? What about Crane?"

"How the fuck should I know?"

His snide comment is what sets Bigby off. He presses his fingernails into the skin of his palms to repress his fury. "Well then what the hell are you doing in here?"

Gren shrugs as if Bigby has simply inquired about the weather. "Door was open. I let myself in."

He pauses to stare blankly down at the tarot card in his hand. "Hey Sheriff, what do you think this means? It's a dead animal. Ya know, it kinda reminds me of a dog. Nah, it's too small to be a dog. Maybe a wolf?"

Bigby groans his frustration before turning abruptly on his heel, heading for the Business Office door. Finding Snow was his next priority.

"Yeah run away, that's what all of you rich fucks do. Ignore all of our problems why don't you, s'not like we-" his monologue is muffled as Bigby slams the door behind him with a satisfying thud. He proceeds to rush towards the stairwell, scaling the way towards Snow's apartment all the while trying to suppress the feeling of guilt that wells inside of him courtesy of Gren's words. He had been seconds from telling him about Lily, from bringing the man's world crashing down around him. What sickens him the most however was that he had almost done so with a strange sense of relish.

No, he has no reason to feel guilty. He's doing the best that he can. Isn't he?

He pauses briefly outside Snow's door, instinctively bringing a hand to adjust his tie before rapping three times on the wooden frame. No response. Another series of knocks and still nothing stirs within the apartment.

"Snow? It's me," he figures he doesn't need to provide a name; his hoarse voice is the distinct give away.

There's no further response to his calling and so Bigby decides to test the knob. Luckily the apartment remains unlocked and Bigby shifts the door open with a loud creak, wavering hesitantly over the threshold before taking a step inside.

The studio remains identical to the time he had brought her here after her bout of drinking and he's comforted by the familiar scent that hits him like a gust of wind upon impact with the atmosphere. Elegant furnishings are positioned in a welcoming formation, seemingly untouched under the dim sunlight wavering through the wide window of the living area.

What unsettles him however is that the apartment seems completely deserted; there's not a trace of Snow White's presence in the air except for a feint lingering scent that feels more like an imprint of her former self than an actual in the flesh representation.

He follows his nose however, past a galley kitchen and through a small parlor before he catches his first glimpse of her, or her leg rather. It protrudes from an open doorway as she lays sprawled upon the ground, half of her body supported by the tile of a bathroom, the other from the plush carpet of the hallway.

Without a second thought, he rushes forward, kneeling next to her as he lifts her head to support on his lap. Her eyes are closed and her breathing is heavy. There's a lingering stench of bile in the air thus her reason for taking refuge in the bathroom and suddenly the clues begin to string themselves together and he curses himself for not realizing sooner; Snow White is as sick as a dog.

Her skin is paler than usual, something before he would have never considered possible and her lips are mere shadows of their former self, blue and dry under the fluorescent bathroom lighting.

She's still wearing her costmary beige blazer and periwinkle dress and Bigby surmises she has been grounded in the bathroom since he had last seen here almost twelve hours ago, all alone writhing in her rising fever. It was such a _Snow_ thing to do; to never even consider asking for assistance, even if he had dared to offer it.

"Bigby?" He hasn't noticed her stirring but now her icy eyes are wide and alert as she gazes up at him from her place on his lap.

"I'm here Snow. I'm going to get you better."

She closes her eyes at his words, pursing her cracked lips together as she makes a sound of either contempt or gratitude at the back of her throat. He isn't sure which he would prefer more.

Nevertheless he hoists her into a sitting position with some effort, her head gracefully lulling to the side, still semi torn between lucidness and unconsciousness. Her eyes are lidded and never once draw away from his face as he hastily checks her over. She is covered in sweat and her own upheaving and he has no choice but to suggest the inevitable.

"Snow do you feel well enough for a bath?"

Her eyes widen, though barely so under the restraint of her fever and she merely tilts her head in response. He decides to take that as a yes. With gentle care, Bigby slides Snow towards the tiled wall, resting her against it before drawing himself up off the floor. Her bath is regal, porcelain white and lined with something that looks suspiciously like gold. He's almost afraid to touch it.

He draws the water, taking care to adjust the perfect lukewarm temperature before blocking the drain to allow the tub to fill.

He glances absently towards Snow who still has a far away dreamy look about her, as if she isn't entirely there.

"Snow stay right here," Not like she was going anywhere in the first place. "I'm going to call Doctor Swineheart."

Bigby departs down the hall, scanning the walls and tables for any sign of a phone. He can hear the distant sound of bath water running in the background and a small murmur that almost sounds like Snow singing to herself.

He finds a phone on the coffee table in the parlor and hastily dials what _used_ to be Swineheart's number. He hasn't had much of a reason to call the good doctor before now and silently prays he hasn't altered it in the last ten years.

Thankfully, Swineheart seemed to like an air of consistency, and answers on the first ring.

"Swineheart it's me Bigby," He says before the Doctor can even inquire. "Snow White's come down with some sort of fever."

There's a pause on the other end of the line. "Well I'm sorry to hear that Bigby but there's really not much I can do."

"What do you mean?" Bigby says incredulously.

"I'm up at the Farm at the moment. There's been an outbreak of mange, though of course I doubt that's what Ms. White has unless of course she's losing fur."

Bigby frowns at the joke, his eyes darting down the hall as a loud splashing sound echoes from the bathroom. "So there's nothing you can do?" he asks hurriedly.

"Well there's something _you_ can do. Keep her rested and relaxed until I come back to Fabletown tomorrow. I know you're not exactly the caregiver type but I don't think it'd do her much good to leave her alone," Swineheart sounds distracted and his voice is soon followed by an array of shouting in the background. "I'm sorry Sheriff, I have to go. Just keep her comfortable Bigby."

Bigby sighs into the line before hanging the phone back on its respected chord. Perfect. He has no quarrels with looking after Snow of course, what irks him is the fact that she is seemingly getting sicker by the minute and Bigby never did have what one would call a bedside manner.

Another splash from the bathroom draws him from his reverie and he hastily scampers down the hall in the direction of the noise. He pauses in the doorway and what he sees nearly makes him laugh aloud.

Snow White is missing from her designated place against the wall and instead lounges, fully clothed, in the confines of the tub, her blazer and skirt floating comically around her, nearly obscuring her from vision. Puddles of water littler the tiled floor and he has to step carefully to avoid slipping on the gathering moisture.

"I'm not sure that's quite how you do it Snow," he sighs, coming to rest next to the tub on his knees. She glances half lidded at him, her face still dreamy and distant.

"Bigby? What are you doing here?" She slurs.

"Well I was drawing you a bath but you seem to have taken care of that yourself." He brings his arms up and rests them on the side of the tub, lazily turning circles in the water as Snow sinks down until her chin is fully submerged. From this angle she almost appears childlike, content with enjoying a much needed bath after a day of play.

"I can take care of myself," she says at last, bringing her mouth above the water to speak. _Yeah he's heard that one before._ She closes her eyes and rests her head against the base of the tub.

"Sure you can. That's why I found you passed out on the bathroom floor covered in vomit."

She shoots him a glare, the first look he's seen all day that truly belongs to her. He expects her to retaliate but instead she lets out a tired sigh before rubbing her eyes. "Bigby, will you tell me a story?"

Well _that_ was a surprise.

He furrows his eyebrows. "A story?"

"Mm hmm," she murmurs. He's about to protest but the look of childish wonder in her eyes only serves to prompt him into her request.

He begins to rack his brain for something, anything that could peek her interest. Now that he thinks of it, he can't think of a story to save his life; there must have been some folktale he had been told as a pup, something to lull him into the gentle cradle of night. Finally it hits him.

He is an idiot. Of course he knows a story.

"Well there once an enormous wolf," he begins abruptly but Snow brings a hand out of the water and presses it to his lips.

"You have to begin with 'Once upon a time'. That's the rules," she sends him a coy smile, one that he can't help but return.

"Fine. Once upon a time, there was an enormous wolf,"

She stops him again, another finger to his lips that causes his entire body to tense. The feel of anything that belongs to her against his mouth sends shivers down his spine.

"Well what kind of wolf? Black as night? Grey as a stormy sky? You're not very good at this Bigby," she scolds him playfully.

"_I'm_ the one telling the story. But if you don't like the way I'm telling it…" he trails.

"No keep going," she murmurs, shutting her eyes once again and leaning against the back of the tub. "I promise I won't interrupt anymore."

Bigby relaxes on his haunches, hands still gripping the tub. "Actually Snow, entertain me. Why don't you tell the story?" He says this partially because he wants to keep her awake and talking in order to know she's okay and partially because the sound of her voice makes his heart pound in his chest.

She raises a singular eyebrow before clearing her throat.

"Once upon a time, there was an enormous wolf. He was both black as night and grey as a stormy sky. He roamed the forest day and night and devoured everything in his path. One day he caught whiff of something pure and innocent, and he knew he had to have it for himself. He followed the scent deep into the woods where he came across a young girl, clad in a blood red hood. She greeted the wolf and he returned her greeting. She was ignorant of his true nature and struck a conversation with the great beast. She mistakenly told the wolf that she was on her way to her grandmother's house, whom had fallen ill, in order to deliver her wine and bread. The wolf was a very smart and devious one and he saw the opportunity. After he had convinced the girl to linger in the meadow to pick flowers for her sickly grandmother, he raced to the cottage where he gobbled up the old woman whole. He then took her place in the bed, where he awaited for the arrival of the girl. She too came, and like before, he engulfed her in a single bite. But chance would have it that at that very same time, a brave and noble Woodsman happened by the cabin and came just in time to rip open the great beast with his axe and deliver the girl and the old woman from the wolf's belly. He then filled the monster with rocks before tossing him into the river and everyone lived happily ever after," Snow concludes her tale with a yawn, her eyes hooded and wavering as she struggles to maintain her lucidness.

Bigby can smell how exhausted she is and so when her eyes close and her breathing becomes steady, he does nothing to prevent it.

"You forgot the best part," he whispers to Snow's sleeping form. "The wolf's story didn't end there. He meets a woman, and she changes everything."

With a sigh, Bigby rises to his feet, bending down to retrieve Snow from her bed of water. She's dripping wet and so he places her gently to the floor, seizing a towel from a rack on the wall and carefully patting her down until she is substantially dry. He then hoists her once more into his arms, carrying her bridal style out of the bathroom and down the hall towards what he only presumes is her bedroom.

He finds the room in question adorned with a large queen sized bed, lined with wooden banisters that give it a regal airy feel. Curtains hang from the wood planks and sway gently in the breeze that's emitting from a half open window. He brings her carefully over to the bed, drawing back the sheets and duvet before placing her on the mattress, taking care to tuck multiple layers of blankets firmly across her now shivering body.

Confident she is asleep, Bigby brings a tender hand to her face, caressing her cheek softly before drawing away from the bed. He attempts to make towards the door in an effort to let her sleep but a sudden abrupt hand seizes his wrist and he turns to find Snow wide awake with an expressionless look on her features.

Eyes never once leaving his own, Snow carefully brings his rough and calloused hand to touch the brunt of her mouth.

He's never liked the cold, but feeling her frigid lips pressed against his palm makes him begin to reconsider his opinion.

"Bigby," Snow speaks weakly after she had released him.

He turns slowly, the color draining from his cheeks as he realizes she has been conscious the entire time. "Yeah Snow?"

"I like you're ending better." Her mouth is hidden under a pile of sheets though he's certain that under all of the blankets she's smirking.

He clears his throat. "Me too. Now uh… get some rest Snow."

She nods her head contentedly and with that Bigby turns off the light.

* * *

**An: Fluffffffff.**

**I tried to play around with present tense in this chapter, I've always felt it sounds more poetic than past tense. Let me know what you thought if you've got the time! Also if you guys have any scenes you'd like novelized or altered from the recent episode, let me know.**

**Thanks for reading**

**_Next time – The honeymoon_**


	11. A Change of Plans

**_A Change of Plans_**

**_special thanks to my beta elpresidente450_**

* * *

It had been an agonizingly slow day. Hot air clung to Bigby's neck, plastering the tight fabric of his shirt to his skin as he lounged unceremoniously in his office chair. The sleeves of his un-ironed shirt were rolled to his elbows and his feet were propped on the unstable wood of his desk which groaned under his shifting weight as he struggled to maintain a normal human body temperature. This summer had been even more blistering than the last, if that could be even plausible, and the sheriff often made two trips a day between his apartment and his closet sized office, lugging his cheap plastic fan at his waist.

_Well at least it's not freezing_, he thought grudgingly. He couldn't stand the cold.

His hours had been filled with never-ending drudgery; unmarked paperwork littered his desk with subjects ranging anywhere from noise complaints to drunken brawls and yet he had no motivation to complete any of his reports whilst he was swimming in his own sweat. Of course the summers nowadays weren't as bad as when he bore his fur; at least the absence of his wolf form granted him that respect. He recalled the summers of yore; hot matted animal hair plastered to his sweating skin, paws chapped and frayed, eyes burning. Yes he preferred to not maintain his canine nature at the moment.

Still what he wouldn't give to run wild and rampant through the woods of some forgotten glen. He had brought up the idea once, casually to Snow; he figured a trip up north to Canada or even the vast forests of Germany would do him some good. However she had shot him down in two shakes of a lamb's tail. "We need you here Bigby. You can't go running off chasing your instincts." He could hear her contradictory voice in his mind.

Dammit. Now he was thinking about her.

Of course he was always thinking about her, subconsciously at least. She constantly lingered at the back of his mind, tugging at the strings of his attraction, waiting to come to the forefront as she so often did. As he so often let her.

The door of his office abruptly swung open, interrupting his reverie, to reveal a boy who looked no more than eighteen, sporting an outfit of solid blue which contrasted greatly with his golden blonde hair.

"Boy Blue," Bigby greeted Snow's newly appointed secretary who now held the same position Snow once did under Crane's rule.

"Mr. Wolf. Sorry to um, interrupt your work," Blue's eyes flashed to Bigby's hoisted feet with an amused smile, "but Ms. White would like to speak with you in the business office for the weekly security report."

Speak of the devil.

"Of course she does," Bigby sighed, removing his outstretched legs from upon the desk and climbing to his feet, all whilst managing to light a cigarette in the process. He tried to ignore the nervous tumble of his stomach, something that always seemed to happen before every impending visit with Snow.

"Did she mention anything specific?" He asked as he followed Blue out of his stuffy office and into the musky scented halls of the Woodland.

"Not to me," Blue shrugged, escorting Bigby down the short path to the door of the Business Office. "She's given me the night off though so you can go right on in."

Bigby raised an eyebrow at that, pausing as he took another drag of his cigarette. "She gave you the night off?"

Blue seemed to beam. "Sure did. Said my work had been satisfactory and I deserved a break."

Bigby chuckled softly to himself. "Seems unlike her."

Blue grimaced. "Well I'm not gonna argue. Anyway see you around Sheriff. And good luck," he added as an afterthought.

Bigby nodded his concurrence and then watched Blue stroll down the hall before rounding a corner, out of sight. Probably off to play that horn of his. He was a nice kid, one that didn't stir up any sort of trouble. There was however his torrid past, one that Snow had filled him in over a mound of paperwork a few short weeks ago. Blue had supposedly been lovers with none other than Red Riding Hood herself however all ties were severed after she had been lost amongst the raids back in the Homelands. The lingering look of sadness in the young boy's eyes suddenly became clear.

Still paused in front of the door in contemplation, Bigby granted himself one last smoke of confidence before crumbling the cigarette in his fingers and pushing open the peeling wooden door. Snow never liked it when he lit up in the office.

She sat alone in an enormous red armchair that nearly swallowed her whole; regal looking and calculated as always. There was a plethora of paperwork that littered her desk though it wasn't as nearly as disorganized as his own mound of unfinished business. Maybe he wasn't the only one whose work had been stalled due to the unrelenting heat.

"Bigby," She greeted him without bothering to look up, seemingly engrossed in one of the displaced papers. He supposed she could distinguish him by the scent of smoke that never ceased to cling to his skin.

He offered her a small smile as he strode to her desk, leaning casually against it as he so often did during their numerous dealings. From this vantage point, her scent was overwhelming and his fingers twitched slightly at the instinct to light another smoke to obscure the brunt of it. Instead of relenting however he waved a hand in front of his nose to clear the intoxicating musk when he was sure she wasn't looking.

"Something wrong with the oxygen in here Bigby?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

_Dammit. _

"Of course not. Just uh, missing my cigarette."

She smirked at that and he realized she took far too much relish in the fact that she had a hand in ceasing what she liked to call "his dirty habit".

"So," She sighed, quickly changing the subject to something more formal as she so often did. "Anything of interest to report?" She leaned back into the confines of her chair, folding her arms before her.

How could she manage to be so beautiful and intimidating at the same time?

"Not much," He replied, shifting his weight to adjust his thoughts. "Toad's having issues maintaining his glamour again but that's nothing new. I caught Flycatcher munching on a few flies but you know how I deal with that."

She nodded briskly bringing a hand to her tilted head as she listened to his half-hearted reports. "So no impending crises, at least for this week. Good."

As he studied her closer in the fading light of the evening he could see how absolutely exhausted she was. Harsh bags trailed under her red rimmed eyes, the telltale sign that she had spent many a sleepless night tossing and turning over the tremendous burdens that came with running a secret government.

"You can go now Bigby," Snow's voice jerked him from his thoughts and he glanced up half startled to find an amused smile on her face, an expression he hadn't seen for a good while. "I won't waste anymore of your precious time." Snow proceeded to return back to her mounds of paperwork, shuffling and organizing each accordingly though he could tell from her half-lidded eyes that she wasn't really comprehending any of it.

It was then he had a sudden idea; a stupid and rash plan but with his mind clouded and foggy under the influence of her intoxicating scent, the urge to voice it was overwhelming.

Still refusing to leave the office, Bigby resorted to hoisting himself onto the edge of Snow's desk, supporting his weight on both of his arms, one more fragile and weaker than the other – a sharp reminder of when things hadn't been quite so mellow in Fabletown.

He cleared his throat pointedly and she glanced up at him with raised eyebrows. "Yes Bigby? Is there anything else?"

His palms began to sweat and suddenly his plan didn't seem so worthwhile under the heat of her unrelenting glare. He opened his mouth once, twice, until finally a small noise sounded from deep within his throat.

She watched his painful stumbling patiently from behind her desk, her expression vacant as she waited for his impending request.

At last he mustered the courage.

"Snow, why don't you take the night off and let me get you out of here? Eat dinner at a Mundy restaurant, see the city outside of Fabletown," he cleared his throat which had become increasingly dryer with each uneasy word. "Let me take you out."

There was a long silence after his request in which Snow simply stared back at him with an unreadable expression on her delicate features. Bigby remained frozen to his place on her desk, trying to resist the sudden impulsive urge to straighten his tie, scratch at his neck, do anything to diffuse the unrelenting tension that wafted through the air.

At last Snow spoke. "Oh my God. You're serious."

His eyes shifted down, quickly reverting to anything that wasn't her face. He was an idiot. Without glancing up at her Bigby removed himself from the wooden table, making quick work of his feet to close the distance between himself and the business office door. He'd need at least a pack tonight. And a long shower. Colin was going to have a laugh.

He had been seconds away from placing his hand on the knob to escape into the sanctuary of the hallway when suddenly he heard the sound of a chair sliding behind him before Snow spoke in a soft but sharp voice.

"Let me get changed. I'll meet you down in the lobby in one hour, no later."

He had never grinned so widely in his life.

* * *

The next sixty minutes were agonizingly slow and torturous, even more so than the drudged hours spent in his scorching office. After watching Snow sashay past him and out the door of the business office Bigby had proceeded to make the blissful journey down the hall and to his apartment, his head positively spinning with overabundant anticipation. It was only when he had closed his apartment door behind him and leaned against it to take in all that had happened did he finally realize what exactly he had gotten himself into, and the fear began to set in.

He was going on a _date_. The Big Bad Wolf had never been on a date in his entire life. How was he supposed to act? What the hell was he going to wear? Surely his tattered rolled up button down wouldn't cut it for tonight. Did he even own anything formal?

And where was he going to take her?

Rubbing his chin in nervous anticipation Bigby pulled away from the door and made towards his makeshift dining table where the weekly newspaper lay strewn across the surface. Hadn't he seen an ad for some overly expensive restaurant just the other day? He was stopped in his tracks however when he heard a distinguishable snort come from the couch adjacent to him.

Shit, he had forgotten.

"What's got you so happy?" Colin asked from his perch on the leather sofa, a mocking tone to his groggy sleep-riddled voice.

"What?" Bigby asked absentmindedly, returning to the newspaper as he began to aimlessly shuffle through the pages, searching for his objective advertisement.

"You're smiling like you just ate a delicious pork roast which knowing you, probably ain't that far from the truth. C'mon, what is it?" Colin persisted, rising from the couch and coming to rest to the left of Bigby, peering over the table at the newspaper.

"It's none of your damn business," Bigby sighed, leaning across the table for a pen. He had found the advertisement in question and he circled it with red ink. Le Bernardin. Something he couldn't pronounce, perfect, but it sounded French and fancy to boot. She'd like French right?

"Oh my God," Colin said suddenly from next to him, gaping up at Bigby with an open mouth. "You actually did it."

"Did what?" He opted to play dumb, pulling back from the table and making for his rarely used bedroom.

"I don't know which I find harder to believe. The fact that you actually grew the balls to ask her out or the fact that she actually said yes."

"Colin," Bigby's voice was muffled but full of warning, head in his closet as he shuffled through rows upon rows of casual wear, all of it stained, all of it ruffled. When was the last time he had done laundry? Didn't he own just one decent bit of clothing?

"Should've seen it coming though. You were whipped Bigby, and badly. It was only a matter of time before you cracked," Colin had followed him into the bedroom and was now sprawled upon his dusty mattress.

"Will you give it a rest?" Bigby sighed pointedly.

"I'm happy for you, really I am. I just find it so damn amusing."

Bigby ignored the pig, as he continued his desperate search for a presentable shirt, hell even a fancy looking tie would save him at this point. His prayers were answered in the form of a blazer he had purchased sometime back in the late fifties; the hem was frayed and the coloring faded after years of underuse spent within the confines of his closet but it was the most expensive thing he owned and he figured he would have to make do.

He pulled out the blazer in question and laid it on the bed next to Colin.

"Oooh sophisticated," The pig commented, sniffing the collar.

"I don't need a commentary."

His outfit was in check. Now for hygiene. He figured he had a little over half an hour left, plenty of time for a shower and so he made haste to his tiny on suite bathroom, closing the door roughly behind him to silence yet another unabridged statement from Colin.

His shower was quick and refreshing though the water did predictably turn cold within the first two minutes. Still the feel of the droplets against his bare skin calmed his frantic nerves and afterwards he was able to hold a razor to his face without suffering any displaced cuts.

With a towel wrapped around his lower waist, Bigby stepped out of the bathroom releasing an array of steam along with him, only to add to the brutal heat of his apartment; the only apartment that lacked an AC unit. Colin was right where he had left him, now asleep huddled over half of his decent looking blazer. Dammit now it would smell like pig.

He had no time to opt for a better option however. He was supposed to meet Snow in less than ten minutes. With great haste Bigby proceeded to tug on his clothes, letting out a groan of frustration at the immediate heat that was brought with the fleece blazer. He rolled up the sleeves halfway for good measure. After an adjustment of his tie and a quick comb through of his hair, he was as ready as he would ever be.

Colin was awake now and eyeing Bigby with an expression torn between amusement and approval.

"How do I look?" Bigby asked reluctantly, presenting himself for critique.

"Like a new wolf," Colin grinned.

Well he supposed that was about as good as he was going to get. With a final nod to Colin, who returned it reassuringly, Bigby proceeded to vacate the apartment and make his way to the elevator, igniting a nervous cigarette along the way. He had never been more afraid in his life, including his countless encounters with the likes of the Adversary and Bloody Mary. Maybe he should have gotten some flowers or chocolate or something to present to her other than his old rugged self.

He arrived in the lobby a few short minutes early and was extremely relieved to find it deserted except for Grimble who predictably snored away behind his desk. God forbid a Fable were to catch them together. They'd never hear the end of it.

Bigby spent an eternity straightening his tie and pacing frantically back and forth in front of the elevators, freezing at every slight sound, every decadent whiff that might belong to her.

At last he heard the telltale ding of the elevator and he spun on his heel to find the doors shifting open to reveal the most beautiful thing Bigby had seen in his entire life.

No, beautiful was a disgraceful word. Even radiant wouldn't cut it. She was magnificent in every meaning of the phrase. She had let her hair down for the occasion and it spooled elegantly across her shoulders in a halo of raven. Her dress was airy and floral, nothing too formal but it lacked a simplicity to call it casual. Her heels projected her an inch and a half from the ground bringing her roughly mouth level with Bigby and her lips were perhaps a shade redder than usual.

He had the sudden urge to reach out and brush a fallen lock of hair from her face. Instead he took another whiff of his cigarette, eyes never once leaving her own.

"You clean up nicely," She smiled, placing a hand on the fleece sleeve of his blazer. "Vintage?"

"You could say that," He grinned, reveling in the feel of her touch. "You look um…" He couldn't muster the words for the life of him.

"Probably vintage as well. This dress is from the forties but I couldn't find anything else that wasn't business formal."

He could do nothing but nod as they ushered themselves quickly out the door and into the noisy courtyard of the Woodland to avoid prying eyes. Being in Snow's presence he found his anxiety easing somewhat despite the fact that his stomach turned at every stolen glance at her. The air was even muggier out here than it had been in the apartments and while Snow looked at ease in her airy summer dress Bigby found himself absolutely stifled in his fleece autumn blazer.

"Shall we?" He asked, cautiously holding out his arm to her, praying she wouldn't neglect his offer.

Thankfully she took it with slight hesitation and he proceeded to lead her down Bullfinch Street, pulling out the stashed piece of newspaper from his left pocket that held the address of the so-called French Restaurant.

They walked in silence for a quarter of an hour though it wasn't an unsettling or awkward one; he could smell the content rolling off of her and he could feel it radiating from himself.

At last when they were merely feet from their destination Snow broke the silence. "So where are we going?" She asked curiously from his right shoulder, stumbling on her heel as she tried to match his broad stride. He slowed slightly to compensate.

"There," He pointed across the way to the restaurant that sat situated on a street corner; illuminated and shining in the impending dusk of the metropolitan evening. He was pleased by the impressed look that crossed Snow's face as she took in the ambiance.

"You can afford this?" She asked as they crossed the street, approaching the restaurant from the north.

He raised an eyebrow down at her and she quickly averted her gaze. "Sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out like that."

"It's fine Snow. I haven't exactly demonstrated any sort of wealth in the past," His lips twitched. "Believe it or not having a stable job for three hundred years tends to pay off."

He was delighted when she let out a low laugh, or at least what could pass for a laugh, torn somewhere between a chuckle and a cough. Nevertheless it was a sound he wanted to evoke from her mouth again and again.

The low buzz of conversation and laughter drifted from the open doors of _Le Bernadin _and flooded the hot August air. Through the wide windows Bigby could see people talking over delicate table clothes, consuming expensive looking food and drinking wine from crystal chalices. He had certainly chosen well.

"Table for two please," He told the waiter stationed near the front doors of the restaurant, still proudly sporting Snow's arm in his own.

"I'm sorry sir but we're booked for the night."

Bigby's heart dropped to his toes. He couldn't bear to look at Snow. Shit, of course he should have made reservations. Maybe Colin _would_ get his laugh in tonight.

"Are you sure?" He asked desperately.

"Positive. I can put you on the waiting list if you'd like?"

"It's fine Bigby. We'll just have to go somewhere else," Snow spoke from next to him. He looked down at her and was surprised to find a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Okay. I'll follow you."

She beamed back, tugging his arm as she proceeded down the street. The sun was just disappearing behind the plethora of industrial buildings, sending the city into a state of early night and Bigby couldn't help but admire Snow in the late evening glow. Blue really was her color. It was compulsive now, something he couldn't work to prevent even if he tried.

He followed her silently for about a mile or so until finally they rounded a corner and her destination was made clear. Central park lay sprawled in all its woodland glory before them, somewhat deserted due to the unrelenting heat wave but nevertheless a paradise among the maze of buildings.

He grinned down at her, pleased with her choice of location.

"I thought you might like it," she replied, leading him across the street and into the confines of the makeshift forest. It was as if suddenly all the outside world had been cut away as soon as they entered the sanctuary of trees. Yes the noise of cars and people was all still present, it had just faded, became more distant than it usually was.

They walked in silence for several minutes, still arm in arm before coming to rest upon the very bridge that had projected Bigby into the chaos of the portal, all those years ago.

"You're thinking about it," she commented, turning to rest her back against the railing as she looked up into his eyes. The stars framed a glistening background behind her and in that moment Bigby knew he was the luckiest man in the world to have her in his presence.

"I can't help it," he replied.

She nodded. "I think about it a lot too actually. It was too much of a turning point in our lives to ignore."

He shifted his weight, joining her at the railing as they leaned against it side by side, staring up into the glassy night.

"Do you think it's the same one?" she asked suddenly.

"What?"

"The same sky. As back in the Homelands," she sounded sad and forlorn and Bigby wanted nothing more than to wrap her in his arms.

He pondered over her question for several minutes before latching onto an answer. "I think all of our universes are linked in one way or another."

She grinned from next to him. "That's a bit cryptic for you."

"I'm full of surprises."

The night crept on and they talked in low voices for hours discussing everything from the stars overhead to life back in the Homelands. She was increasingly interested in stories of his youth and he gladly portrayed them to her, eager to do anything to hear her emit that glistening laugh again. And she told him of her own childhood, all alone with her mother and sister in a cottage deep within the woods. He noticed she completely avoid relaying anything after she had been taken from the care of her family and he was glad of it. He didn't want to wash away the smile she bore on her face.

"So you give 'raised by wolves' a whole new meaning," she laughed

"Snow I pretty much invented the phrase."

Another laugh as she leaned over slightly to rest her head on his shoulder and he was content in doing this forever.

They couldn't remain in their own personal plane of oblivion however; their conversation had carried them far into the night and Bigby was certain it had to be some time in the AM hours.

"We should be getting back," Snow sighed, pulling away from his shoulder which Bigby heeded with great reluctance. "I don't think Fabletown can survive without us much longer."

They walked back to Bullfinch Street, his rough calloused hand molded into her smooth porcelain one though they immediately dropped all personal contact upon entering the Woodland's peripheral vision.

They paused outside the gate, out of sight of any potential onlookers.

"I half expected it to be in shambles," he muttered, looking up at the apartment building.

"Oh we haven't been inside yet," she smiled before clearing her throat. "Thanks for this Bigby. I had an um…nice evening. We should do it again sometime," she hastily brushed a strand of loose hair behind her ear, looking up at him uncharacteristically sheepishly.

"Anytime," he replied.

It was at that moment Snow did something unexpected. On unsteady heels she leaned forward and placed a kiss to the corner of his mouth, lingering her lips there just a trace longer than what was to be considered mutual before pulling away with a small smile.

She then turned abruptly and made her way across the Woodland courtyard, pausing at the door to give him one last look before disappearing inside. Bigby could only stare back dazedly even after minutes of her departure. Yup, a pack for tonight would do.

After adjusting his tie and igniting a cigarette Bigby crossed the courtyard with a halfhearted skip in his step.

And if he had looked up he would have seen nearly all of Fabletown congregated at an upstairs window, all sharing similar smug looks on their faces, Colin at the helm.

* * *

**an: This was originally going to be the honeymoon chapter but that got pushed back because I loved Nan's idea so much about Bigby taking Snow out on a date. So props to you Nan! Also an enormous thanks to everyone who submitted prompts both here and on tumblr. Each and everyone of them made me sqeual and I can't wait to share them with you. Anyway, let me know what you thought if you have the time! Still accepting prompts until this fanfiction burns out. **


	12. In the Woods

**In the Woods**

_special thanks to my beta elpresidente450_

* * *

A week or so after their first date, Snow finally relented. She had granted Bigby the trip to Canada with some admitted reluctance after having to endure his constant pleas and drop hints for days she eventually gave into temptation. 'A day up north would do them both some good she managed to convince herself. Fabletown could survive on its own, at least for a short twenty-four hour period. She had insisted on accompanying him, despite his half hearted protests on the basis that she needed to "make sure he didn't endanger the Fable community" – however that was only part of the truth. It had been centuries since she had seen him truly unleash the beast within. She was curious if more than anything.

And so she had shown up unexpectedly at his office bright and early that very morning, black coffee in one hand and a crumpled pamphlet in the other. He had gazed at her contently when she had swept over the threshold, placing the steaming mug on his desk as she spread out the ad before him.

"What's all this?" he asked, leaning back in his chair with his hands behind his head as he observed her with approving eyes.

She gestured the pamphlet under his eyes pointedly with a satisfied smile.

His eyebrows rose, face twisting into a look of pure boyish joy.

"How long?"

"A day. I don't want to make it a fuss or else we'll have all sorts of Fables making obscure requests. You get a day and then we're coming straight back."

His brows furrowed at that. "Wait, we? You're coming too?" He sounded not disappointed but rather frightened, as though her presence would cause some sort of intimidation on his part. This surprised her. She half expected him to want to boast his powerful form in front of her; that was what men did didn't they? Revel in demonstrating their masculinity? But then again she had to remind herself, Bigby wasn't simply a man.

"I need to keep an eye on you," she replied, suddenly feeling as though she had been caught in a lie. "And I figured the fresh mountain air would do me some good." There. Make it sound like it had nothing to do with him. She never had been good at lying.

The corners of Bigby's eyes crinkled but he said nothing and merely nodded at her assurance which she was grateful for. He had always been a man of few words.

"We leave in an hour," she stated, smoothing out her beige skirt as she tried and failed to maintain a level eye contact with him. "You should start packing though I expect you travel light."

She turned to make a hasty departure however a calloused hand seized her by the waist and she spun on her heel to find herself face to face with her undoing.

"Snow," Bigby breathed, his mouth inches from her own. She gulped returning her gaze from his lips to stare into his intense gaze, patiently waiting for him to continue. His breath was ragged in her ear and she could do nothing to prevent the heavy pounding within her chest at the closeness of his contact. It was so loud he could probably hear it. No he could _definitely _hear it given those keen senses of his. At last he spoke, his mouth drifting ever so slightly to her ear. "You forgot your coffee."

She raised an eyebrow, in full knowledge that whatever Bigby had truly intended to say was lost in the shadow of his timidity.

"Yes. I suppose I did," she stated neutrally, removing his grip on her waist, still slightly flustered as she crossed the distance to his desk where she retrieved her previously forgotten mug.

She was aware of his eyes still attached to her and she could feel a burning question on his lips, one that she ached to resist.

"I'll see you in an hour Bigby."

And after a final forlorn glance, Snow fled from the office.

Damn that man. How was she going to survive an entire twenty four hour period alone in the woods of Canada with him? However she couldn't change her mind now. Bigby Wolf needed a chaperone and she trusted no one other than herself to do it.

* * *

The woods were an ancient marvel Snow seldom truly appreciated and through the window of their rented Sedan she could only absorb half of the meticulous beauty. Still it was a wondrous sight to behold and she could see the eagerness etched upon Bigby's face as they rolled deeper into the thick shrubbery, quite certain that if he had been in his true form his tail would be wagging up a storm.

The trip had been quiet and uneventful, filled with absent minded small talk and a slight accidental brush of the fingers here and there. Snow wasn't quite sure with what their relationship had become. The previous week had been full of off handed stares and questionable touches, each distant, each asking for permission. Her days had been a constant struggle between the desire to kiss him and the instinct to push him away, to avoid further hurt on her part because that was what became of all relationships wasn't it? The ever present feeling of turmoil and guilt once the bond was laid to rest as it was so often destined to. Even Beauty and Beast, after centuries of marriage, had their underlying problems. No one lived happily ever after, why continue to thrive on such a delusion?

She had kept him at an arm's length after that night for reasons unbeknownst even to her. During that one evening she had been the happiest she had ever been in a lifetime. Why suddenly deny herself of that? Why push him away as she so often did?

In need of some sort of reconciliation Snow heedlessly took a single hand away from the steering wheel and placed his calloused palm over her own. She felt him stiffen in surprise at the contact before relaxing, lacing his fingers within her own as they both remained motionless, gazes fixed on the deserted tree lined road before them.

"Bigby," she began, still avoiding his amber eyes that so often resulted in a tied tongue on her part. "We're okay, right?"

She could practically feel his eyebrows rising as he turned to look at her. This time she returned his gaze with suppressed delight, pleased to see a faint smile lingering on his lips. "We're always okay Snow."

That eased her, if only a little though some part of her deep inside still remained skeptical over whatever it was their relationship had become. Was this a budding romance or merely a shoulder to cry on, a way to release thousands of years' worth of pent up frustration? Snow wasn't sure which one she preferred, which one she wanted, though something within yearned and ached for the former. Still, she continued to blatantly lie to herself.

They were greeted with another half hour of comfortable silence, their hands still touching as Snow maneuvered the vehicle through a maze of trees and greenery. Canada was blessedly cooler than the hot, humid streets of New York and Snow rolled down the windows to bask in the waft of fresh forest air. Bigby seemed pleased at this, leaning his head towards the trees with a contented expression that forced her to laugh aloud.

"What?" he asked with a singular raised eyebrow, the corners of his lips twitching up at the sound of her uncharacteristic giggle.

She shook her head, a slight smirk still dancing on her mouth as she made an abrupt turn into a bright clearing, pulling the car to a rest in the midst of tall, weedy waist high grass.

"This should be far enough," she had been meticulous in her planning; they needed a place far from the Mundies' prying eyes yet close enough to civilization that they wouldn't become lost amongst the trees. She had made no predetermined plan for sleeping arrangements however. They would have to settle for the uncomfortable plush seats of the sedan for the night.

Bigby shifted impatiently next to her, seemingly glancing about for some sort of approval. She raised both eyebrows, a smile crossing her face as she gave him a nod in the direction of the forest. He needn't be told twice. He tore eagerly from the car without further hesitation, stretching his limbs one by one after the multiple hour long car ride before turning his face to the woods.

It seemed to happen in slow motion. Bigby began to sprint in full force in the direction of the trees, chest heaving and hair blowing behind him in the fresh mountain wind. At first the changes were unnoticeable, a lengthening of the fingers here, a stretch of the ankles there until his form truly began to morph into the beast he was so notorious for.

As the great wolf leapt through the air his lumbering form blocked out the sun, causing the grass to depress under the force of his lunge. Snow was both in awe and terror as she too rose from the car, clambering through the grass on unstable heels as she watched Bigby bound across the clearing in circles before weaving through the dense forest, tongue lolling and tail trembling as he tore his way through the woods. She had never truly been able to appreciate his feral form but now under the canopy of trees in their own personal plane of oblivion she had never seen something more magnificent.

She watched as he circled around, slowing from his break neck pace as he trotted toward her direction. Though she knew this was Bigby and the dedicated Sheriff would never dream of hurting her, she couldn't help but feel the trill of terror that came from being under the influence of his gaze.

She was at a loss for words as he came to rest before her so instead she instinctively reached a timid hand towards the nape of his neck, resting it in the soft curve of his fur.

"Heels?" It almost startled her to hear his familiar voice emit from this great beast and initially she was confused by his question before looking down at her out of place footwear.

"I suppose I didn't dress accordingly," she was still in her costmary beige business attire, now ruffled and unkempt due to the tedious car ride. "Though I think that advice could also apply to you."

Bigby's nose twitched, a gesture for what she assumed was a smile, before glancing at his strewn destroyed clothing, half hidden beneath the lumbering grass.

"I suppose you're right," he continued to stare intently into her eyes and she suddenly felt shy under his scrutiny, still absently stroking the cusp of his fur. "Walk with me?"

She hesitated slightly, glancing down at her shoes before decisively kicking them off, flexing her toes in the soft greenery before reaching up again to lean into his broad torso. She felt safe there, comfortable even. Bigby let out a low chuckle as they started across the expanse of the clearing, Snow matching his long stride with a quick hurried pace of her own.

"Never thought I'd live to see you barefoot in the woods Snow," Bigby remarked as they crossed from the grass into the arch of trees, Snow still clinging to his side like a lover on the arm of her beau.

"I'm full of surprises," she answered with a determined smirk. Her mirrored statement was greeted with a barking laugh and she was pleased to evoke such a sound from him.

When he had calmed down from his burst of mirth, he circled in front of her with what she could only perceive as raised eyebrows. "So is it safe to call this a second date?"

She feigned thoughtfulness, folding her hands in front of her. "I suppose. Though it's had a rotten start."

"Has it?"

"Oh yes. No candlelit dinner or romantic movie," she trailed on in mockery. "Though I suppose you get points for convincing me to run around barefoot."

He hummed his concurrence, settling down next to her on the forest floor as they relaxed in the woods around them. The soft lullaby of the wavering trees was a lethargic sound and Snow found herself growing drowsy, concealing a yawn behind a porcelain hand.

It had been centuries since she had truly enjoyed the majesty of the woods. She had been raised amongst the trees and streams of a forest and she felt at home once again to reside among them.

Few words were exchanged as they sat in silence, though there was really no need for conversation. Feeling his intimate presence so close to her was satisfactory enough and before she knew it she had fallen asleep, head resting against the nape of his soft neck, content to feel the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed into the impending night.

She wasn't sure how long she had remained under the clutches of sleep but when she awoke she was greeted with a tremendous feeling of panic to find Bigby gone. The desolate silence of the woods was no longer soothing but rather terrifying in his absence, causing her to think back to her desperate flee from the evil queen in that forsaken forest so long ago.

"Bigby?" She called into the pending silence, her voice full of panic. "Bigby!" She began to sprint, her thoughts jumbled and groggy under the influence of her previous slumber, racing through the trees at a break neck pace in pursue of some sign of him.

Merely minutes into her search a large hand seized her around the waist and she screamed into the palm of her attacker, kicking and thrashing about in a feeble attempt to release herself.

"Hey it's me! It's just me Snow," A familiar voice spoke into her ear and she relaxed instantly as Bigby settled her onto the ground, placing a firm protective arm on either side of her shoulders.

"You – you left me," she sputtered, suddenly feeling ashamed at her frantic chase. "I thought…" she trailed off. She wasn't quite sure what exactly she thought.

"I err, changed back into my human form Snow."

And of course he would be noble enough to do so out of her view.

Did she truly believe he would abandon her, alone in these woods as so many other people of her past had done? Did she posses so little faith in him to think he would desert her so?

For the first time in centuries Snow's eyes became glassy with suppressed emotion, sniffling slightly as she drew away from his concerned gaze. "I'm sorry I'm being stupid," she murmured, brushing a flyaway hair behind her ear.

"What is it?" He asked, brining a calloused thumb to wipe a stray tear from beneath her eye.

She had barely registered he had resumed his human form and flinched slightly at his touch. He immediately retracted his hand, looking ashamed but she shook her head in protest, bringing his palm to caress her face.

"I just don't understand you Bigby. I'm tainted. I'm broken. How could you possibly want me?" her voice was low and trembling in a half hearted attempt to maintain her normally stable demeanor.

He gave her a half hearted smile, taking a step closer to her until she could count every harrowed scar, every ageless line on his rough and calloused face. "Believe me Snow, the feelings mutual."

"What do you mean?"

He let out a low chuckle and she could smell the smoke on his breath, mixed with bourbon and an alpine fragrance, all of it comforting, all of it so distinctly him.

"I was so scared today that you would take one look at me in my true form and take off," his voice no longer held his former mirth. It was dark and full of self loathing.

She brought a comforting hand to the nape of his neck, mirroring her touch from earlier that day. "I always thought," her voice was just above a whisper, "that you were a beautiful wolf. Even when we first met I was never truly afraid of you Bigby."

They were inexplicitly close now and for once, Snow wasn't intimidated by their intimate position; in fact she was absolutely exhilarated.

It was she that initiated the kiss. He had let out a low grunt of surprise that quickly softened into a groan of pleasure as she ran her lips over his own, reveling in the taste and texture of his mouth. His hands quickly moved to brace her back, pulling her closer to him until they were molded perfectly against each other, hips rolling over hips as they stumbled backwards at the impact of their collision.

His tongue gently probed at the opening of her mouth and she granted him permission, meeting it with her own before proceeding to explore every crevasse that had thus far been unfamiliar to her.

He pulled away from her mouth and moaned her name against her check, causing her to tremble under the feel of the shadow on his chin.

She gasped against his mouth, clutching fistfuls of his button down shirt as he nipped playfully at her bottom lip, probing her chin up with his own to grant better access to her pale throat, aglow in the moonlight peeking through the trees. A high pitched moan was emitted as he brushed the skin of her neck with his lips, ghosting the curve of her collarbone before returning his mouth to her jaw.

It was the most erotic experience of her life. However, it was short lived as they both decisively pulled away in the moonlight, both wanting more yet resenting the temptation. There would be a time to go further, a time to let their primal instincts take hold and run wild but in those vast woods under a murky canopy of leaves and stars, they wanted nothing more than to fall asleep in the clutches of each other's arms, the smooth symphony of breathing and silence to lull them gently into slumber.

And so they did.

* * *

**An: I know, not much going for this chapter but I wanted to give you guys something to read this week. For some reason my muse decided to abandon me but thankfully I think it's coming back. I'm going on vacation in two weeks so I'm going to try to stop slacking and keep popping these chapters out more frequently to make up for the impending absence. Thanks for reading regardless!**

**Next time – Snow's life hangs in the balance and it's up to Bigby to save her, no matter the cost**


	13. Reunion

**an: So this is set more in the Fables universe but I'm too lazy to make another story so it's just gonna hang out here. It's also a strong T for mild sexual content, just in case that's not your cup of tea.**

_special thanks to my beta elpresidente450_

* * *

**Reuinion**

It was never easy with Bigby gone, if only for a shortened period of time. The cubs often maintained an unruly disposition at the absence of their father, the key disciplinary figure in their life, forcing Snow into the role of both nurturing caretaker and strict enforcer. She was comfortable with both forms of authority however; she had learned over her long hard years as Deputy Mayor how to dish out proper discipline and it wasn't as if the cubs were complete hellions, despite what Rose chose to dub them these days.

And the loving role she had to fill, well that was simply a mother's intuition, something that had been born with her straight out of the womb as often was the case with most women.

Wolf Valley was in a constant state of chaos and disarray, six young wolflings and one zephyr bouncing off the walls while Snow spent her days chiding them good naturedly into better behavior though it was all half hearted. In all honesty it warmed her to have a lively house, helped distract her thoughts from wondering to Bigby as they so often did when he wasn't within mere feet of her.

His current mission had dragged him all the way to Argentina for some top secret business that he hadn't bothered to divulge before departing. She talked to him regularly however via the wide array of Mundy communication methods. He had called just that morning, sounding exhausted but utterly pleased to hear her voice.

"Are the cubs behaving themselves?" He had asked between pauses of what she could only assume as drags of his cigarette. She could picture him on some South American beach, skin sunkissed and relaxed as he hoisted a glass of bourbon to his lips. Of course he was probably in the cusps of a completely different scenario but the thought brought a smile to her lips nevertheless.

"About as well as you'd expect. They miss you a lot though. So do I."

"Believe me Snow. I wouldn't be here unless I had to. It's only for a couple more days," Another pause. "I'll make it up to you when I get back."

She had raised an eyebrow at this. "Oh really?"

"Hold up. I've gotta go Snow. Kiss the children for me, I love you."

It was hard not to be envious. Her husband often led a life of exciting, secret op like adventures while she was stuck at home playing housewife. Not that she was complaining entirely. She would trade in any voyage to an exotic country for a peaceful night in with the cubs.

Unfortunately peaceful nights were hard to come by and the current evening was no exception. From what Snow could gather, Ambrose was upset with Darien for breaking one of his favorite action figures, however Darien had chosen to place the blame on Winter who claimed she had nothing to do with the entire fiasco.

The remaining cubs had gathered around the argument like a rowdy audience cheering on a wrestling match and Snow decided with a sigh she would have to play the role of referee.

Herding her children to the brunt of the staircase – this task was oft interrupted with a chorus of "but"s and "not tired"s – she proceeded to kneel eyelevel with her cubs, trying to keep her strained and tired smile from tearing at the seams.

"It's getting late darlings. Darien, I saw you break Ambrose's toy and it was clearly not an accident so to compensate, you will give him a figure from your collection. You have far too many of them anyway."

Darien opened his mouth to protest but was immediately silenced by one look from his exhausted mother. Instead he chose to shrug his shoulders with a sigh of defeat, shooting a somber glare at Ambrose before retreating up the stairs, followed grudgingly by his brothers and sisters.

"I'll be up to tuck you in in a minute," Snow called after them, rising to her feet only to feel a soft tug on the hem of her skirt.

She peered downwards to find Winter, thumb in mouth and blue eyes full of glassy tears as she gazed up at Snow from her place on the floor. Out of all of her cubs, her first born child had taken on the likeness of her most of all and she could see a similar look of dissatisfaction on the seven years old's rounded face.

"I'm not in trouble mommy?" she asked in a tiny voice.

Snow let out a soft coo from the back of her throat, returning to her knees to run a hand through her daughter's raven hair. "No of course not. This was between your brothers, something that they unfortunately dragged you into."

"Darien blames me for everything. He calls me the runt," her words were barely coherent through her clasped thumb and Snow frowned at the bullying that had seemingly been going on all of Winter's short life.

"Winter, did you know that daddy was the runt of the litter?"

Winter's eyes widened at this and her gaze stayed intensely focused on her mother, eagerly waiting for what Snow could only assume was a story.

Another lazy brush of her daughter's hair and she continued. "He was the youngest and the smallest out of all of his brothers and they teased him endlessly for it. They jokingly called him 'The Big Bad Wolf' and left them out of everything they did."

"But daddy proved them all wrong didn't he?" Winter smiled through her tears, at last unsticking her tiny thumb from her mouth.

"That's right darling. Sometimes the little ones are the ones that matter the most."

Winter seemed thoughtful for a moment, still clutching to the side of Snow's skirt before giving a final nod and pulling away from her mother.

"I'll show them. I can be just as good a wolf as Darien."

While Snow wasn't one to encourage disputes among her children, a little healthy competition never hurt anybody and Winter could certainly use the confidence boost. "That's the spirit honey. Now hop on up to bed with the rest of your brothers and sisters."

After a final kiss on the forehead, Snow watched with a smile as her eldest leapt up the stairs with a new spring in her step, humming _Hushaby Mountain_ softly under her breath.

Forget the beaches of Argentina. She wouldn't miss this for the world.

Still there was that lingering aching presence in her heart where Bigby should have been and she sighed softly as she rose to her feet. The mission had endured for an entire month and each day Bigby would call prolonging the trip even further; it didn't worry her particularly. She knew he had everything under control, his ability to maintain chaos was one of the many reasons she had hired him as former Sheriff.

In all honesty she simply deeply and truly missed him and it was a constant gnawing yearning that bothered her all hours of the day.

But she couldn't be bothered to let it consume her as she so desperately wanted it too. Bigby's absence was hard on the children and she had to be a constant rock at least for their sakes.

Lost in her reverie, Snow wandered from room to room on the lower floor of Wolf Manor, snuffing out each of the lights and making sure everything was in perfect order before she retreated off to bed. The living room was an absolute disaster but she figured she could enlist the cubs to help her put it back to order tomorrow. She was far too exhausted both physically and emotionally to do any sort of cleaning at the moment.

She had been halfway through the foyer, on her path to the staircase when suddenly a movement from the kitchen caught her eye and caused her to freeze in her place. Initially she convinced herself she had merely imagined it; a product of her sleepless nights and constant worrying. However when the shadow remained persistent, gliding across the walls in a sort of twisted ballet of darkness she knew she couldn't place the blame on her mentality.

With a determined breath, Snow carefully reached for the nearest object she could use as a makeshift weapon – which happened to be a toy sword one of the cubs had left littering the hallway – and crept slowly and quietly to the open door of the kitchen. In all probability it was most likely Rose playing a joke on her but it was far better to be safe than sorry.

The kitchen was pitch black and it took Snow several seconds for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. At last she could distinguish different shapes and what she saw, leaning casually up against the counter, made her heart leap to her throat.

"Bigby! You scared the hell out of me," she gasped, her body torn between the instinct to run into his awaiting arms and the urge to slap him for nearly giving her a heart attack.

"You caught me," he said with a toothy grin, raising his hands up in mock surrender. "I wanted to surprise you but you're too damn perceptive."

"You're back early." She was still in a daze as if her mind couldn't quite comprehend that her husband stood before her at last. Even through the absence of light she could still make out that his skin was darker than usual and it cast a healthy glow that made him look years younger. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up slightly due to the heat and she couldn't keep her gaze from wandering over his broad forearms, a tiny familiar feeling she hadn't felt in a month slowly coming to the forefront of her emotions.

"Snow," Bigby's voice was low, interrupting her silent contemplation. She glanced into his face with parted lips, hastily smoothing out the hem of her skirt out of mere habit. "Come here."

She didn't need to be told twice. It took her all of two steps to cross the kitchen and within seconds she was enveloped in his arms, clinging tightly to his back while he rested his chin in her hair. She could do nothing to prevent the tears of mirth that streamed down her cheeks and she buried her face in his shirt to muffle the dry sob that emitted from her throat. He stroked her hair soothingly, whispering words of comfort into her ear and then at long last she twisted her head so her mouth would meet his own, removing her hands from his back to clutch either side of his face.

It had been so dreadfully long since they had last kissed and she reveled in the taste of his lips, something that she had nearly forgotten over the course of his thirty day absence. His hands dipped to her waist and she moaned into his mouth as he playfully teased the skin beneath the band of her skirt, pulling a leg up to wrap it around his own, silently urging him on. Her own hands proceeded to fly down the buttons of his shirt, hastily tugging each from their designated place until his torso was fully exposed. She ran her fingertips from his chest to his naval, causing him to shiver and groan against her ear before reaching up to rid him of his shirt completely.

She could only briefly admire the majesty of his fully exposed chest before his lips dipped to her neck, causing her to throw her head back in pleasure with a half emitted moan, muffled by his mouth in an attempt to silence her.

"Shhh, you'll wake the cubs."

She nodded her concurrence, eyes half lidded as he proceeded to linger his lips upon her neck, running them over the skin with tiny bites and nips. It took every ounce of self restraint in her to prevent the moans of pleasure that threatened to break through her mouth, even more so once she felt the brunt of his lips dip below the low collar of her dress.

She could feel his hips pressed against hers and there was no mistake in his arousal, something that only motivated her further to reach down and tug dolefully on the belt at his waist, dipping her hands lower until suddenly -

"Mommy? Aren't you going to come tuck us in?"

So utterly caught up in one another, they had completely forgotten they were in the middle of their kitchen until a tiny voice echoed from the doorway that caused them both to stop in their tracks before scrambling aimlessly in a desperate attempt to gather their clothing.

Thankfully the darkness had probably obscured their previous act and Snow could only pray her cubs had remained oblivious.

"In a minute love!" she called, keeping her voice light and airy. She could hear Bigby chuckling lowly in her ear and she lovingly elbowed him in the side.

Obviously not satisfied with her answer, six sleepy cubs proceeded to trail into the kitchen, rubbing their eyes and stifling nods behind their tiny hands. She felt Bigby catch his breath behind her as he stepped closer to his children, an expression of pure unwavering love crossing his face.

"Daddy!" Blossom was the first to notice him and soon enough a plethora of wolf cubs had Bigby pinned to the ground, all jumping excitingly as they clung to his arms and legs, each chattering in his ear in a constant chorus of "Missed you"s and "You're home"s. A gust of cool wind was blowing the children's hair this way and that and Snow smiled softly to herself as she heard Ghost let out a laugh of glee.

For the first time in a month Snow didn't sleep alone that night. Sandwiched between her and her husband in their king sized bed were six perfectly contented wolf cubs and one zephyr, all snoring softly and all obliviously happy.

She glanced across the expanse of her children to see Bigby smiling down at each of them before meeting her gaze with a wink.

"I'll make it up to you tomorrow Princess," he grinned, bringing his hand to join hers protectively across their cubs.

"And every night after that," she yawned, leaning forward to plant a kiss to his temple.

And at long last, the Wolf family finally got a good night's rest.

* * *

**an: So I wrote this chapter in honor of Father's Day because perfect Papa Bigby is the best kind of Bigby. Thanks for taking the time to read, let me know what you thought if you have the chance!**


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